Bebida à base de mel de abelha com adição de suco de abacaxi pérola e hortelã: estudo da cinética de fermentação.

Abstract

Honey from bees (Apis mellifera L.) is considered a very rich food when the nutritional potential is evaluated, besides presenting high energy value. It is composed of different sugars, being the basis for the production of other foods, the same presents a wide availability of products that can originate from its processing, including mead, which is a fermented honey-based product widely known and consumed in Europe. There are several variations of this beverage in relation to its production process, which are melomel, metheglin, and capsicumel. In view of this, the study aimed to produce an alcoholic beverage based on pearl pineapple juice and mint, and to study the kinetics of alcoholic fermentation for the production of the beverage. For the fermentation process a 22 experimental design with 3 central points was used, having as independent variables the pineapple juice and mint leaves, and the dependent variable the ethanol productivity of the fermented beverage. The bees honey, pineapple juice and mint leaves were physicochemically characterized for pH, total acidity, water content, soluble solids, reducing sugars, ash, hydroxymethylfurfural, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids. For fermentation kinetics, aliquots were analyzed at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 168 and 216 hours for alcohol content, total reducing sugars, cell concentration, pH and total acidity. It was observed that high concentrations of pineapple juice and mint leaves provided an increase in the productivity of ethanol in the beverage, producing a beverage with an alcohol content within the legal requirements. The final product proved to have a great potential for the beekeeping sector, benefiting producers located in the sertão region of Paraiba, enabling the production of a beverage with good economic conditions and great added value.