Effects of tangential microfiltration and pasteurisation on the rheological, microbiological, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of sugar cane juice

The aim of this study was to determine the physico-chemical, microbiological, rheological and sensory characteristics of sugar cane juice with passion fruit pulp (5% w/w) added and which had been submitted to microfiltration and pasteurisation (90 degrees C/30 s; 95 degrees C/30 s) processes. The results showed that the juices obtained after the microfiltration and pasteurisation processes had low microbial counts. The microfiltered juice showed a reduction in the soluble solids, acidity and vitamin C content (P = 0.05), while the pasteurised juice showed no change in these parameters (P > 0.05) in relation to the natural sugar cane juice, with the exception of vitamin C, which was not detected after the thermal treatment. In relation to the rheological properties, Newtonian behaviour was observed for both microfiltered and pasteurised juices. The sensory tests on a hedonic scale showed good acceptance of both juices (microfiltered and pasteurised).