Parameters that
guarantee a first-class drip

LUIZ SUGIMOTO


NThe latest news about the success of our cachaça in bars in the United States, Europe or Japan is not fortuitous. Since 1997, when it created the Brazilian Cachaça Development Program (PBDC), the federal government has been striving to make the drink recognized and appreciated all over the world, placing it among the important export items. Pinga is the most consumed distillate in Brazil, with an annual production of 1,3 billion liters. For now, only 1% of production is exported, with a liter reaching the shelves of around 60 countries, at an average price of US$2. Germany represents 30% of exports. The official propaganda says that cachaça will be the trendy drink in the next decade, just as rum, vodka, sake and tequila have already been.

PhD student develops evaluation methodology

The National Export Agency (Apex) decided to set aside generous funds to help small and medium-sized spirit producers adapt their products to the standards and requirements of the international market. However, Natália Soares Janzantti, from the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA) at Unicamp, chose to carry out an independent study on the flavor of cachaça, aiming for her doctoral thesis supervised by professor Maria Regina Bueno Franco, and which included an internship 11 months at the University of Zaragoza, where he learned evaluation techniques used in wines.

Even without any intention of indicating the ideal flavor of cachaça, Natália Janzantti's research can be a useful tool to define a parameter that still doesn't exist: the quality standard of a product that is hidden under more than 5 thousand brands and comes from 30 thousand producers spread across the country. Using samples of thirteen industrialized cachaças, she addressed both the sensorial part in the study, checking the acceptance of the products with 30 teachers, students and employees from Unesp in Araraquara, as well as the instrumental part, with the development of a methodology for analysis and description of the characteristic compounds of the samples.

“Flavor is a response to the mixture of aroma and flavor. The aroma comes from the interaction between several volatile compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, lactones, fatty acids, esters. Taste, determined by non-volatile compounds, is equivalent to basic sensations such as bitter, salty, sweet, acid. By combining the volatile compounds and the taste, we will have the characteristic flavor of a certain food or drink”, explains Natália. Continuing her teaching, the doctoral student adds that esters, for example, contribute to a fruit aroma; acids with the aroma of cheese; aldehydes with those of grass or eucalyptus; phenols with that of pharmaceuticals; fermented alcohols; lactones with sweet smells.

Professor Maria Regina Franco says that every odorous compound allows for a description and what has been done so far in the country is precisely the determination of each chemical class, in isolation. “Other techniques determine only the majority compounds present, including to comply with legal requirements. Our proposal was to obtain an integrated response from all volatile compounds, as the combination and quantity will provide the overall aroma”, she explains. The FEA Food Analysis Laboratory was a pioneer in the study of food flavor in Brazil. “We have already studied various types of matrices, such as fruits, honey, wines, salami and coffee”, informs the professor.

A technique – In a superficial explanation, what is done is to separate the volatile compounds from the cachaça, using an instrument called a gas chromatograph, recording the peaks of each compound on a computer screen. Every peak, according to Maria Regina, requires human assessment. “The taster is the one who must describe whether the compound is important or not for the aroma, giving a score depending on the intensity of the impact”, she summarizes. Sample preparation itself is already a critical step, as volatile compounds generally disintegrate with increasing temperature, with the risk of the final extract no longer representing the aroma of the product being evaluated. Hence the importance of techniques that do not involve the use of heat. “This type of study makes it possible to formulate aromas that appeal to consumers when added to food and identify which compound is being lost or modified, leading to the resizing of the process itself”, she adds.

Natália Janzantti states that the samples examined did not present qualitative differences in the composition of volatiles, but rather quantitative ones, with the lower or higher concentration of certain compounds influencing the acceptance of the products. It was noted that lactones, which are sweet, are desired substances, and that phenols, related to aggressiveness and the sensation of bitterness, were more present in the sample that was least accepted and considered to be of poor quality. “It is necessary to clarify that we work with finished products and do not study the manufacturing process, where variables such as raw materials, microorganisms used, distillation material, etc. come into play. We are just offering parameters for the industry, relating the composition to what is desired by the consumer”, concludes the FEA postgraduate student.

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