A technological review on processing of sugarcane juice: Spoilage, preservation, storage, and packaging aspects

Abstract

Sugarcane juice is a proven health-promoting drink having a substantial amount of polyphenols, antioxidants, and functional nutrients known to prevent several ailments. Owing to its perishable nature, sugarcane juice is mostly consumed fresh postextraction. Prior to juice extraction, the pretreatment of canes is felt vital and is generally adopted to minimize subsequent postcrushing destructive changes in juice quality. The application of processing techniques to sugarcane juice is crucial, primarily to enhance its shelf-life and for value-addition to meet consumers' demand. This review focuses on critical aspects encountered during sugarcane juice processing, which are of prime importance to food scientists. This addresses pretreatment of sugarcanes; physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characteristics of sugarcane juice; its microbiological and biochemical spoilage; processing techniques for enhancing its shelf-life and/or quality characteristics, and finally its packaging and storage. The understanding of juice characteristics and spoilage has resulted in the introduction of novel processing, packaging, and storage technologies leading to juice products with higher retention of nutritional and quality characteristics. Implementation of such technologies for industrial-scale processing of sugarcane juice is not only advantageous over the conventional ones but also useful in the development of additive-free, high-quality processed juice with natural, and fresh sensory appeal in packaged form. Such an attempt would promote entrepreneurship in sugarcane juice processing and would be useful for the commercialization of shelf-stable sugarcane juice in packed form.