The objective of this work was to verify the occurrence of ethyl carbamate and to determine volatile acidity and alcoholic degree values in cachaça and in industria l sugar cane spirits. Samples were supplied by formal and informal, registered or not registered producers from São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo and Ceará, which use copper still or cotinuous stainless still columns. Analyses of volatile acidity and alcoholic degree values were carried out according to the methodology described by Agriculture, Livestock and Food Ministry. Contents of ethyl carbamate were determined by external standardization method in gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode for the quantification. Alcoholic degree values ranged from 32.4 to 49.2 ºGL, with a mean value of 40.4 ºGL. Seventeen out of 75 samples presented alcoholic degree values below 38 ºGL, which is the minimum value required by the current legislation in Brazil. Only one cachaça sample presented alcoholic degree value above 48 ºGL, the maximum legal limit for this beverage. Twenty-four (32%) out of 75 samples presented volatile acidity levels above the maximum legal limit. Values of ethyl carbamate for the 75 samples ranged from 20 to 948 µg/L, with a mean value of 378.25 µg/L. Only 10 of the 75 beverages presented ethyl carbamate values below 150 µg/L, which is the maximum limit to be allowed by Brazilian Normative Strunction no.13, June 21st, 2005.
acidity; spirit; alcoholic degree
