Stability of postpackage pasteurized camu-camu pulp

Resumo

Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) is a wild fruit native to the Amazon, with great nutritional potential due to high ascorbic acid content. As transport reduces its shelf life and fresh consumption is limited because of high acidity, posing obstacles to commercialization, pulping and pasteurization can enhance its shelf life. This study aimed to verify camu-camu pulp stability after postpackage pasteurization, using high barrier polypropylene bags, assessing physical and chemical alterations caused by cold (5 ºC), frozen (-18 ºC), and room temperature (28 ºC) storage for 45 days. Samples were pasteurized in tanks at 75 °C for 1 min and rapidly cooled to room temperature. Frozen pulp presented the best physical and chemical characteristics, but cold stored samples also showed promising results, maintaining the initial characteristics throughout the study. Room-temperature storage may be a cheaper option to preserve the product, provided that natural dyes and flavor enhancers are added, since pH and acidity did not change during storage.