Food and beverages developed today search the association of pleasant flavor with functional claims, offering consumers healthier products. In this sense, the objective of this work was to develop a ready-to-drink cashew apple juice sweetened with honey in substitution to sucrose and to evaluate its chemical, physicochemical, sensory and microbiological stability during 180 days storage at a temperature of 28 ± 2 °C. In the development of the product, four formulations (A, B, C and D) with different amounts of cashew apple juice (15 and 20%) associated to different amounts of honey in soluble solids (10 and 11 °Brix) were evaluated through sensory analysis (flavor and overall acceptability). The best accepted formulation was processed and evaluated after processing and every 45 days until the end of the storage period. Among the formulations tested, the favorite was formulation D, with 20% cashew apple juice and 11 °Brix. In the stability studies, the product maintained good acceptability until the end of the storage period, regarding the attributes color, flavor, overall acceptability and purchase intention. The product maintained satisfactory microbiological quality, in agreement with the current Brazilian legislation. The chemical and physicochemical changes did not characterize lack of stability of the product, except for the content of vitamin C, that presented an accentuated decrease at the end of storage. The product developed can be considered an interesting alternative for the fruit beverage market.
non-alcoholic beverages; Appis mellifera; tropical fruits
