Microbiological, physicochemical and sensory evaluation of different brands of commercial peanut candy “paçoca”

Resumo

Paçoca is a peanut-based candy, typical of the Brazilian culture. It is associated with some religious traditions that occur seasonally, but the consumption occurs throughout the year. In this study, four commercial brands of paçoca were analyzed for microbiological aspects, centesimal composition, instrumental color, sensory characteristics and labeling. In the microbiological tests, no relevant contamination was identified, and the centesimal characterization showed low variability among the brands. The sensory analysis showed a relevant acceptance of all brands and the instrumental color analysis indicated different aspects that can be considered in the quality control of the candy, such as color and the yellowish aspect, which may vary according to the peanut roasting process. Therefore, in this work, attributes of paçoca responsible for its acceptance and popularity in the Brazilian culture are showed.