ANALYSIS OF SENSORY ASPECTS IN THE QUALITY CONTROL OF THE ALEMBIC CACHAÇA INDUSTRY

Abstract

Cachaça de alembic is a Brazilian drink composed mostly of ethyl alcohol, water and a mixture of natural substances formed in the production process that add the sensory characteristics responsible for the quality of this product. However, the still very artisanal production has little technology to manage and control the preparation of the beverage on an industrial scale due to the process variables being presented, in general, as "immeasurable and intangible". Due to this scenario, a way out to carry out quality control is the use of sensory analysis in all stages of the production process, which are passed on through simple training for all employees on the "factory floor". This work aims to analyze the importance of the use of sensory analysis in the manufacture of cachaça in an industry located in the district of Galante, Campina Grande/PB through the daily monitoring of its production. After three months of qualitative evaluation, it was seen that sensory analysis is an easily disseminated and efficient tool to assist the quality control of the final product, mainly because it is simple and applied by all employees.