Sensory Analysis and Consumers Studies of Açai Beverage After Thermal, Chlorine and Ozone Treatments of the Fruits

Açai is a fruit of the Amazon region consumed as beverage, pulp, and other products, being exported to many countries because of its peculiar characteristic flavor and antioxidant power potential. For Açai there is still a need for improving sanitizing processes, making it more effective, reducing the microbiological contamination without affecting either the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of final product. Thermal (blanching at 80 and 90C) and nonthermal treatments (150 mg/L−1 chlorination and 4 mg/L−1 aqueous ozonation) were applied to fruits in order to evaluated their anthocyanins content and also processed beverages for coloring, sensory characteristics, and their purchase intentions. Ozonated fruits exhibited less anthocyanins content and beverage originated from this process showed higher color difference from the traditional beverage. Consumers could not distinguish among beverages processed thermally and sanitized by chlorination. Beverage from blanched fruits in both temperatures obtained good notes and positive purchase intention. Practical Applications The Açai fruit has naturally high microbial load and sanitization processes of fruit were studied. Thermal (blanching at 80 and 90C) and nonthermal treatments (150 mg/L−1 chlorination and 4 mg/L−1 aqueous ozonation) were applied to fruits in order to evaluated possible changes the anthocyanins content on Açai fruits and color and sensory characteristics of the beverage. Practical results were obtained since aqueous ozonation process promoted changes in total anthocyanins content of Açai fruits and the difference of the color beverage over traditional sample. Thermal and nonthermal treatments for Açai fruits did not affect the quality and sensory characteristics of beverages, and beverages from fruits thermally treated obtained good purchase intentions by traditional regional consumers. The thermal treatment of Açai fruit at 90C can be considered a new parameter for the sanitization of Açai processors.