AVALIAÇÃO FÍSICO-QUÍMICA DE REFRESCO ADOÇADO SABOR LARANJA

Abstract

The increasing demand for convenience in daily life has significantly boosted the consumption of ready-to-drink products, such as industrialized juices. This study aimed to perform the physicochemical characterization of different brands of sweetened orangeflavored drinks commercialized in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The samples were analyzed for pH, titratable acidity, vitamin C content, total soluble solids (°Brix), and total sugars, following official methods from the Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Analyses were conducted in triplicate at the physicochemical laboratory of CTDR/UFPB. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test at a 5% significance level. The results revealed significant differences among the brands. Sample B stood out with higher vitamin C content (2.83 mg/100 mL) and lower total sugar concentration (2.53 g/100 mL), while sample C presented the lowest vitamin C level (0.20 mg/100 mL) and the highest sugar content (4.37 g/100 mL). It is concluded that the analyzed brands presented relevant variations in physicochemical parameters, indicating the need for improved standardization and quality control in the production of these beverages.