Cachaça sold in polyethylene terephthalate packaging: determination of the physical-chemical profile, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ethyl carbamate

Abstract

The production of cachaça in Brazil is a historical and cultural practice that has been gaining ground in the commercial sector with the marketing of its product with new labels, derivatives and different types of packaging for the beverage. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) packaging has been used by some producers because of its lower cost and greater durability for transport. The influence of storage on 15 samples of commercial cachaça packed in polymeric packaging was investigated. The physical-chemical quality and the presence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH’s) in the beverages were evaluated. Of these samples, 60% contained concentrations of components that were outside the limits of the Quality Standards established by Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), and most of the samples contained low alcohol concentrations. The samples showed concentrations of ethyl carbamate below the limit established by MAPA (210 µg L-1). All samples studied contained concentrations of PAHs higher than those found in the literature for cachaça stored in other types of packages. Contamination by PAHs can be associated with the thermal processes involved in the production of packages. Sample R12 contained the highest total concentration of the PAHs (20.90 µg L-1), followed by samples R7 (17.23 µg L-1) and R8 (17.61 µg L-1). The mean concentration was 10.91 µg L-1. Fluorene was the PAH found in the largest quantity with a concentration of 18.61 µg L-1 in the R12 sample. Therefore, cachaças stored in PET packaging are unsuitable for consumption and commercialization, as they present high concentrations of contaminants.