The demand for the production of safe high quality food,
whichhas both thesensory and nutritional characteristics similar to the raw
material used and extended shelf life, is ever growing in the national market.
However, some products, such as sugarcane juice, which is
largely consumed in an informal marketplace, are frequently offered and sold in
hygienic and sanitary conditions that are precarious at best. This presentsa
threat to the health of consumers.A clear example of this potential danger is the 2005 incident
in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina where sugarcane juice contaminated with the
Trypanossomacruzi, an etiological agent forBarber Bug fever (Chagas), was sold
and publically ingested.
Sugarcane juice is a low acidity drink (pH>4.6) with a
high water activity (Aw=0.99) and composedof approximately 80% water and 20%
total dissolved solids. Among these solids, one may highlight saccharose (17%),
glucose (0.4%) and fructose (0.2%), as well as nitrogenous substances such as organic
acids and also mineralsand such as iron, calcium, potassium, sodium and
magnesium.
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