This study aimed to evaluate the addition of açaí, beetroot, and hibiscus flour on the sensory characteristics of a buffalo whey-based cocoa beverage and, second, to consider if health and sustainability claims could enhance consumer acceptance and purchase intention for the buffalo whey-based cocoa beverage. In this sense, five treatments were elaborated; BCC, the control with a commercial beverage formulation; BCE, the experimental control; BFA, with the addition of açaí flour; BFB, with added beetroot flour; and BFH, with the addition of hibiscus flour. The experiment was divided into two stages: In the first, the beverages were submitted to sensory analyses of acceptance (nine-point hedonic scale), purchase intention and just-about-right (five points), and check-all-that-apply (CATA). In the second stage, the beverages with the highest and lowest acceptance rates were taken, and they were subjected to the effect of sustainability and health information on consumer acceptance, purchase intention, and the CATA test using terms referring to emotions and feelings. The addition of flours decreased the beverage acceptance rate compared to the BCC treatment. The treatments were penalized in aroma and sweet taste. There was no effect on the type of information received by the consumer. Probably, the addition of high cocoa percentages can negatively affect the acceptance of products, as well as the use of flour with bitter flavors, due to the greater acceptance of sweeter products.

The aim of this study was to develop fermented milks using strains of lactic acid bacteria with probiotic potential isolated from Minas artisanal cheese. For this purpose, the strains Lacticaseibacillus casei B5 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum B7 were used in a 6 × 4 experimental design, with six fermented milk treatments and four analyses on days 1, 15, 30 and 45 to characterize the product and evaluate the viability of the bacteria. Additionally, a sensory analysis was conducted using a preference ranking test. All treatments showed viable counts of microorganisms above 10⁶ CFU/mL until the end of the storage period, as well as variations in pH and titratable acidity values on day 45, being the lowest value of both verified in the TRAT1B7 sample. Based on the application of a sensory analysis, it was observed that the type of treatment and the strain directly impacted the sample chosen by the tasters. According to results gathered from the present study, milk fermented by L. casei B5 stands out in the order of preference, however milk fermented by L. plantarum B7 has also obtained favorable results, indicating that this strain of bacteria can be used in dairy technology.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a significant challenge to the dairy industry, necessitating robust strategies to ensure food safety. This study focuses on the efficacy of thermosonication, a novel technology combining ultrasound and heat, in reducing MRSA in milk cream. Comparative analysis is conducted with conventional pasteurization, the industry standard. Results indicate that thermosonication effectively reduces MRSA counts by up to 4.72 log CFU/mL, akin to pasteurization’s reduction of 4.82 log CFU/mL. This finding highlights the potential of thermosonication as a rapid, energy-efficient alternative to pasteurization in the dairy industry, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining microbial safety. Further exploration and optimization of these techniques promise enhanced food safety and quality control in dairy products, addressing the growing concern of antibiotic-resistant strains like MRSA. This research lays a foundation for innovative approaches and underscores the significance of quantitative data in food safety research.

Cachaça is a sugarcane spirit produced exclusively in Brazil and is the second most consumed alcoholic beverage by the Brazilian population. During the maturation process, carried out either in wooden barrels or with addition of wood chips, compounds such as organic acids and phenolic substances are extracted into the beverage, providing specific characteristics to the matured spirit. The present study objectivated to evaluate the physicochemical properties, phenolic composition, sensory profile, consumer acceptability and ranking preference of blended cachaças produced with cachaça aging with jackfruit wood chips (Artocarpus heterophyllus), with or without aeration, with white cachaça. The results showed that samples blended with a cachaça stored in stainless steel tanks containing wooden chips (SSW) presented higher values of total acidity, volatile acidity, total esters, dry extract, and total phenolic compounds when compared with cachaça stored under conventional conditions (CWB). Experts described the cachaça blends as having a balanced/harmonious flavor, moderate woody, alcohol and acidity, and a mild spicy. No significant differences were observed in consumer acceptability between treatments. However, the blended cachaças prepared with samples stored in stainless steel tanks containing wooden chips, showed greater preference among consumers. Therefore, blending unaged cachaça with cachaça aged with wooden chips appears to be a promising and advantageous alternative for the cachaça production process, since the physicochemical and sensory characteristics are preserved.

Cachaça is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane produced exclusively in Brazil and is the second most consumed alcoholic beverage by the Brazilian population. During the maturation process, which is carried out either in wooden barrels or with the addition of wood chips, compounds such as organic acids and phenolic substances are extracted into the beverage, providing specific characteristics to the beverage. The current research mainly focused on evaluating the impact of adding different types of cachaças, stored under different conditions, in the production of blends. To evaluate the impact, three different cachaça blends were produced through mixing the beverage stored under different conditions—conventional aging and storage in wooden barrels (CWB); storage in stainless steel barrels with wooden chips (SSW); and storage in stainless steel barrels with wooden chips under aeration (SSWA)—in a proportion of 50% v/v with white cachaça (not aged). The blends were assessed for physicochemical properties, phenolic composition, sensory profile, consumer acceptability, and ranking preference. The results showed that samples mixed with SSW presented higher values of total acidity, volatile acidity, total esters, dry extract, and total phenolic compounds when compared with cachaça CWB. Experts described the cachaça blends as having a balanced/harmonious flavor, moderately woody, with alcohol and acidity, and a mild spice. No significant differences were observed in consumer acceptability between treatments. However, the cachaça blends prepared with samples stored in stainless steel tanks containing wooden chips, showed greater preference among consumers. Therefore, blending unaged cachaça with cachaça aged with wooden chips appears to be a promising and advantageous alternative for the cachaça production process, since the aging time of the beverage can be reduced, preserving its physical-chemical and sensory characteristics.