Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Microbiological evaluation of a small scale processing for sugarcane juice

4^th International Conference and Exhibition on Food Processing & Technology

August 10-12, 2015 London, UK

Rodrigo R Petrus, Carine O Silva, Fabio Augusto Gallo and Laura Q Bomdespacho

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

An investigation was carried out to evaluate control points in a pilot plant designed for sugarcane juice processing. The juice was
extracted in a stainless steel electric cylinder mill and then acidified with citric acid until attaining the pH of 4.3. Next it was
pasteurized in a plate heat exchanger at 95ºC/30 s and then cooled to 10ºC before being filled into a plastic bottle and induction
sealed. The Pproduct´s filling was performed in an ISO class 5 unidirectional air-flow cabins. Bottles were decontaminated by 0.05%
per acetic acid (PAA) spray; at 45ºC for 20 s. Seals and caps were sterilized at 121ºC/15 min. Three batches of acidified sugar cane
juice were carried out. The qualities of the raw material (pH 5.1 and 22.3 ºBrix), of the rinse water of the processing and filling line
(after sanitation with 0.1% PAA at 50ºC for 40 min), of the packaging and of the end product, were all microbiologically evaluated.
The total aerobic mesophilic and molds and yeasts mean counts in natural fresh sugarcane juice were 1.8x106 and 1.6x105 CFU/mL,
respectively. The mesophilic and molds and yeasts mean counts taken, in both rinse water samples of the processing line and the
bottles, were lower than 1 CFU/mL. The mesophilic and molds and yeasts mean counts in acidified and pasteurized sugar cane juice
were 4.3x102 and lower than 10 CFU/mL, respectively. The findings indicated that the procedures that were evaluated met standards
for the acidified sugar cane juice to be produced then stored under refrigeration.