EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THERMAL INFLUENCE ON VITAMIN C CONTENT IN PASTEURIZATION OF ORANGE JUICE IN TWO TYPES OF HEATING

Background: Heat treatment is one of the most used methods to preserve food, such as orange juice, increasing its shelf life. However, little is known about the temperature and speed profiles during heat treatment of liquid food in commercial packaging. Aim: This work aimed to determine the vitamin C content and the convective heat transfer coefficient in the pasteurization of orange juice. Methods: Two tests were performed: in test 1, the heating started with a water bath at 22 ºC and was heated to 80 ºC. In test 2, the water bath started at 80 ºC. Results and Discussion: The convective heat transfer coefficient was analyzed in the wall region, and it is higher in test 2. In both tests, the curve graphic profile follows the same literature trend. Regarding vitamin C, in test 1, there was a reduction in it. In test 2, it remained constant. Conclusions: Studying the thermal behavior of orange juice is extremely important to ensure its quality. In order to avoid this degradation and reduce its loss, it is necessary that in thermal treatments, rapid heating is carried out and that the juice has low exposure to air and heat at the time of its preparation.