Membrane filtration without adding lime water combined with vacuum heating enhances green odor in brown sugar processing

Abstract

Compared with the clarification method of adding Ca(OH)2 and the traditional heating method, membrane filtration without adding Ca(OH)2 and vacuum heating affect the aroma of brown sugar processing by reducing cations, pH and heating temperature. HS-SPME-GC-MS were used to extract and analyze volatiles formed in the production process of brown sugar (obtained by different clarification methods and heating methods), and aroma attributes were analyzed via quantitative descriptive analysis. The results showed that the green and fruity notes were higher in the brown sugar obtained by vacuum heating, especially for the samples without adding Ca(OH)2; the roasted and caramel notes were enhanced by high-temperature. Meanwhile, the aroma attributes had the same tendency as the odorants. Sugarcane juice and syrup had similar volatiles compared to brown sugar. These data indicate that membrane filtration without adding Ca(OH)2 and vacuum heating provided more fruity and green notes to brown sugar and enriched the brown sugar aroma.