Abstract
Knowledge of the chemical composition of Mozambican spirits is extremely important because the studies of potentially toxic compounds have been a determinant factor in quality control. The objectives of this work were to analyze and physicochemically characterize distilled sugarcane spirits and other raw materials from Mozambique on the basis of the standards established by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA). The samples came from five provinces of southern and central Mozambique, provided by the owners of the stills in the localities of Manhica, Xinavane, Chokwe, Massinga, Mafambisse, Beira and Chimoio. The four samples from Brazil were randomly collected from different regions of Minas Gerais. The parameters analyzed were ethanol, methanol, higher alcohols, aldehydes, volatile acidity, furfural, esters and copper concentrations. The Mozambican spirits produced from different raw materials, compared to Brazilian spirits, contained very variable concentrations of the components analyzed. Mozambican spirits are of much lower quality than Brazilian beverages and are not suitable for consumption.
Highlights
IntroductionThe scale of production is very precarious and without any registration of trademarks
The mean value for the volatile acid content of Mozambican spirits was 76%, which presented a volatile acidity level greater than that permitted by MAPA (150 mg 100 mL−1 aa), with the exception of samples 7, 8 and 12, which presented values of 34.134, 34.269 and 94.532 mg 100 mL−1 aa, respectively, and were within the limits established by Brazilian legislation [3]
Among the Mozambican spirits analyzed, 69.2% were outside the limits permitted by MAPA for the aldehyde concentration
Summary
The scale of production is very precarious and without any registration of trademarks. The different forms of production and the types of raw material result in a variable qualities in terms of flavor and aroma, so the products receive different designations in said regions. Producers often use molasses and cereals such as corn, sorghum or rice as their raw materials
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