Desenvolvimento de bebida amazake a partir de arroz japônico e parboilizado com adição de cacau em pó

Abstract

Amazake is a traditional Japanese fermented beverage with low or no alcohol content, made from rice and Koji (rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae), which gives the product a natural sweet taste. This study aimed to develop and characterize Amazake formulations using Japanese and parboiled rice, with and without the addition of cocoa powder, evaluating their technological and sensory viability. The substitution of Japanese rice by parboiled rice sought greater economic viability due to the lower cost and higher availability in the national market, while the addition of cocoa powder aimed to improve sensory acceptance by Brazilian consumers. Physicochemical analyses (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, and alcohol content), microbiological analyses (detection of Salmonella spp., yeast and mold counts, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillus cereus, and Koji spore count), and sensory analyses (acceptance, preference ranking, and purchase intention tests) were carried out with 100 untrained panelists. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey's test, Friedman's test, and chi-square test (α = 0.05) with R software. The results showed that all formulations met the microbiological standards and presented alcohol content below 0.1% v/v. The formulation with Japanese rice and cocoa (F2) stood out with higher saccharification efficiency (15.0 °Brix), better sensory acceptance, and 52% purchase intention, while the formulation with parboiled rice and cocoa (F4) showed intermediate performance and potential for future optimizations, unlike the cocoa-free formulations (F1 and F3), which showed low acceptance. It is concluded that cocoa Amazake, particularly with Japanese rice, represents an innovative, safe, and culturally adapted alternative to the Brazilian market of non-alcoholic fermented plant-based beverages.