ESTUDO DA ESTABILIDADE MICROBIOLOGICA E FISICO-QUIMICA DE POLPA DE CUPUAÇU DESIDRATADA EM ESTUFA

Abstract

The irregular offer of cupuaçu pulp in the harvest time, the high endable of the fruits and the form of conservation by freezing, are factors that cause difficulties in the offer of this product in the market of Rio Branco/AC. The purpose of this work was to dehydrate the cupuaçu pulp and evaluate the shelf life in a period of 90 days. The experiment was conducted in the Unity of Technology and Foods (UTAL) of Federal University of Acre (UFAC). Cupuaçu fruits came broked, despolped and sanitized. Portions of 300 g of pulp were submitted in the process of dehydration in oven with air circulation by a temperature of 60 °C for 46, 52 e 58 hours. After the dehydration, the samples were submitted to the following analysis titratable acidity, pH, totals solids soluble (oBrix), moisture determination, ascorbic acid and water activity (aw). The microbiologycal analysis involved of Salmonella, thermotholerant coliforms at 45 °C, mesophilic bacteria and yeasts and moulds, all for triplicats. The results showed significant effect of interaction between dehydration time and storage to variables ºBrix and ascorbic acid. The water activity and the pH kept stable during all the period of storage, while the level of ascorbic acid reduces by the dehydration time and storage. The dehydration of in natura cupuaçu pulp in conventional oven is a practicable method of conservation and storage for 90 days.