Dados do Trabalho

Título

PROCESSING OF MILK-BASED HYBRID BEVERAGES USING OHMIC HEATING: RHEOLOGICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

Introdução

The use of emerging technologies can favor the production of more nutritionally and sensorially attractive hybrid milk-based products.

Material e Métodos

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on the rheological and microstructural characteristics of hybrid milk-based beverages processed by ohmic heating (OH) and conventionally. The beverages were formulated with whole milk and cashew nut extract (50/50) or hazelnut extract (50/50), and processed using OH under different electric fields: 60 V (6.67 V/cm; T1), 120 V (13.33 V/cm; T2) and by pasteurization (72 °C/15 s; TP). An untreated sample (ST) was used as a control. Rheological tests were performed immediately after each treatment, in triplicate at 25 °C.

Resultados e Discussão

It was noted that the flow behavior index (n), in all samples, showed pseudoplastic behavior (n < 1). The quality results demonstrated that the pasteurized cashew nut hybrid drinks and the control hazelnut drink reached 233 and 143 mPa.s, differing significantly (p>0.05%) from the other treatments. The use of xanthan gum probably enhanced this aspect, in addition to the scientific matrices having a high fiber content. Regarding the consistency index (K), pasteurized cashew nut and untreated hazelnut drinks stood out, with the highest (3.2 mPa.s) and lowest result (1.57 mPa.s), differing significantly (p >0.05%). Regarding the structure, the hybrid drinks had a continuous phase, with the main constituents being water and soluble material, which could not be visualized under optical microscopy. As for the optical microscopy structure of hybrid drinks, they present a continuous phase, the main constituents are water and soluble material, which cannot be visualized in optical microscopy. The dispersed phase is contained in fat globules, insoluble polysaccharides, hazelnut or cashew nut extracts. The images magnified at 100x showed that the 120V treatments formed larger particles with greater disaggregation, while the pasteurized treatment at 60V obtained the opposite result.

Conclusão

It is concluded that the challenges in the processing of hybrid milk-based beverages are still great, and that the use of emerging technologies was favorable, increasing the viscosity and consistency index. However, further studies should be carried out.