Coconut water is popular worldwide, mainly because of its pleasant sensory characteristics, nutritional value and low calorie density. However, coconut water is a highly perishable product due to the presence of enzymes such as peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase, which cause undesirable changes in colour, and also because of its susceptibility to microbial spoilage. The use of chemical additives has been adopted by the industry with the intent of increasing product shelf life. In this study, the efficiency of the preservatives potassium sorbate and sodium metabisulphite was assessed using a Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD) to determine the stability of carbonated coconut water, varying the concentrations of potassium sorbate from 0 to 500 mg.L-1, and of sodium metabisulphite from 0 to 100 mg.L-1. The chemical evaluations included carbonation volume, pH, soluble solids, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, acidity, ascorbic acid, polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase activities, colour and turbidity attributes. The microbiological evaluations considered the total aerobic plate count and the enumeration of yeasts and moulds. It was observed that concentrations of 375 mg.L-1 of potassium sorbate and 75 mg.L-1 of sodium metabisulphite gave the best quality attributes with respect to minor changes in acidity and colour of the coconut water, providing that the raw material had low microbiological contamination.
Coconut water; Carbonation; Potassium sorbate; Sodium metabisulphite; Microbiological quality
