EFFECT OF HIGH ISOSTATIC PRESSURE PROCESSING ON THE PHYSICAL AND VISUAL STABILITY OF BRAZIL NUT-BASED BEVERAGE

Recently, the demand for fresh-like food and vegetable-based beverages has steadily intensified among consumers due to increasing intolerance to lactose or changes in lifestyle. Therefore, food scientists are studying new technologies to minimize the impact of conventional thermal treatment on properties of many beverages, however, most of the research has been focused on soy-based beverages, thus, Brazil nut introduces an alternative for current products considering it is a natural choice and features nutritional quality. This study intended to evaluate the effect of High Isostatic Pressure (HIP) on the physical and visual stability of Brazil Nut-based Beverage (BNB) to establish conditions that might ensure product quality. Then, HIP treatments were carried out in a high pressure press by applying 20, 50, 150, 300 and 600 MPa (25°C/5min.) with temperature control (26±2°C) and a raw sample was adopted to compare the results. Analysis of Particle Size Distribution (DLS), Visual Stability (VS) and Solid Particle Sedimentation (SPS) was performed to comprehend the evaluate effects of HIP processing. DLS showed that pressures up to 150 MPa led to a reduction of fat globules but there was no great effect on proteins, while when applied 300 and 600 MPa it might have occurred a protein aggregation, besides an increase of fat particles. These results are in agreement with SPS once it showed an increase in sedimentation at pressures above 300 MPa, which indicates a cluster formation. Finally, VS demonstrated that the processed sample showed a visual aspect similar to the raw sample after agitation, and the application of 300 and 600 MPa showed a more noticeable phase separation during ten days of storage under refrigeration. This research concluded that HIP imparted several modifications to fat and protein, mainly when applied 300 and 600 MPa, although it seems to be a promising technology for BNB processing.