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Pasteurized and fermented beverages for valorization of maple sap
Author(s) -
Perry Jennifer J.,
Nile Kilee,
Martel Andrew,
Fiore Maria,
DavisDentici Katherine,
Hopkins Kathryn,
Calder Beth
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of food processing and preservation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.511
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1745-4549
pISSN - 0145-8892
DOI - 10.1111/jfpp.14623
Subject(s) - pasteurization , maple , food science , fermentation , food spoilage , shelf life , business , pulp and paper industry , chemistry , biology , botany , engineering , bacteria , genetics
Functional beverages are a high‐value market in the United States. The production of ready‐to‐drink sap‐based beverages represents significant economic opportunity for maple producers. Pasteurized maple beverages maintained high quality during shelf life, but demonstrated a high risk for bacterial contamination in the absence of strict sanitation controls. Acidification of unpasteurized sap was associated with more rapid spoilage, attributed to Rahnella and Bacillus spp. The production feasibility of a fermented, kombucha‐style beverage comprising of various combinations of black tea, sucrose, maple syrup, and maple sap was also evaluated. Use of maple products in kombucha‐style beverages had no negative effect on fermentation kinetics. After 25 days of fermentation, finished product had a pH 2.73–2.95. Small‐scale producers without access to commercial pasteurization and packaging equipment are advised to consider formulation of fermented, as opposed to heat‐treated, maple beverages. Practical applications The production of maple syrup requires the concentration of maple sap by approximately 40×, a process that is highly energy intensive and represents a significant cost to sugaring operations. The tradition of value‐added product production from finished syrup is well established in the industry, but value‐added products made from unconcentrated sap represent greater economic return for producers. Commercially produced maple sap‐based beverages have entered the U.S. marketplace during the past decade, but the feasibility of producing analogous products at smaller scale has not been validated. This study provides data regarding the microbial quality and consumer interest in such products, as well as information about the feasibility of a novel, fermented product. Production of prototype products in this work was patterned after the capability of cottage‐scale manufacturing in order to be more readily adoptable by small business owners.