Avaliação físico-química de açúcares tipo I comercializados no estado da Paraíba

Abstract

The sugar production in Brazil is continuously growing due to global demand and technological advancements. CONAB data indicates that the 2023/24 harvest exceeded 40.89 million tons, representing an 11.1% increase from the previous season. Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugarcane sugar, occupying only 1% of the national territory, exerting a strong influence on international sugar prices. The sugarcane industry is fundamental to the Brazilian economy, contributing 2% to the GDP. In light of this, this research aimed to evaluate the quality of commercial sugars. The overall objective included assessing the physicochemical characteristics of the samples, including moisture, conductimetric ashes, polarity, black spots, ICUMSA color, where the obtained results were compared with literature values, contributing to the improvement of sugar product quality. The results reveal that 55% of white crystal sugar samples have values below the legal limit for the Pol% parameter, while 42% of samples exceed the permitted moisture content. Additionally, 48% of samples surpass the allowed ICUMSA color values. However, conductimetric ashes and black spot studies fall within acceptable standards. The findings indicate that sugar mills are not maintaining quality control according to the regulations established by INSTRUÇÃO NORMATIVA nº 47 (IN) on August 30, 2018. The lack of detailed research on sugar quality parameters presents an opportunity to improve production and ensure consumers receive safe and high-quality products. Thus, this study highlights the importance of quality control in analyzing physicochemical characteristics of sugar. Parameters such as moisture, polarization, color, among others, were evaluated to ensure compliance with regulations. Although a tracking system has improved information management, it was discovered that several samples exhibit significant variations in key parameters.