Avaliação da estabilidade sensorial de mel de cacau (Theobroma cacao L.) submetido à tratamento térmico

Abstract

Brazil ranks sixth among the world's largest cocoa producers, standing out as the only producer that concentrates, within its territory, all links of the production chain, ranging from agricultural production to final consumption. Among the by-products generated during chocolate production is cocoa honey, a clear liquid extracted from the cocoa pulp during the fermentation of the beans. However, fresh cocoa honey undergoes rapid fermentation due to its high content of reducing sugars, combined with high moisture and the extraction techniques used, which limits its capacity for storage, transportation, and commercialization. An alternative to overcome this limitation is to subject the product to thermal and/or chemical treatment. Pasteurization aims to eliminate non-spore-forming pathogenic microorganisms and significantly reduce the background microbiota, ensuring a safe product for consumers with an adequate shelf life. Furthermore, pasteurization can be combined with additives to increase product stability during storage. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the sensory stability of cocoa honey (Theobroma cacao L.) subjected to thermal treatment, considering different periods of refrigerated storage. For this purpose, two sensory tests were conducted: the multiple comparison test and the preference ranking test, at four storage times: 7, 14, 21, and 28 days under refrigeration after the treatments. The results showed that both treatments differed significantly from the control sample (α = 5%) in the multiple comparison test, while in the preference test the control sample and the pasteurized treatment did not differ significantly (α = 5%) until the 21st day after treatment. Thus, the applied treatments demonstrated potential for commercial use, allowing product storage under refrigeration for up to 21 days.