RESUMO
The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival of a probiotic microorganism microencapsulated in cellulose acetate phthalate, added to acerola nectar. The changes in pH, Brix, organic acid content and color of the product during its shelf-life were evaluated. A total of 3 processing runs were carried out on a semi-industrial scale, each consisting of a 15-liter batch of acerola nectar with added prebiotics and a microencapsulated probiotic culture. The physicochemical characteristics of the samples remained stable throughout storage. After 30 days storage the acerola nectar samples containing microencapsulated probiotic microorganisms exhibited counts above 8 log CFU per 200 mL, within the limits set by the Brazilian regulation for functional foods. On the other hand, the samples containing...(AU)