Sugarcane Juice Preservation: A Critical Review of the State of the Art and Way Forward

Sugarcane juice is a refreshing sugary soft drink found in every part of India. It is a vital commodity in the global market as it provides immense health benefits. In the health-conscious consumer-driven market, sugarcane juice competes with other soft drinks and the sugarcane farmers are reaping the economic benefits. However, the development of suitable preservation technologies, along with sugarcane juice processing, is imperative to enhance its shelf life. Numerous preservation methods of sugarcane juice, including chemical, thermal, and non-thermal methods, have been investigated by various researchers. Among the various techniques that are in vogue, pasteurization is being widely used to preserve sugarcane juice. However, pasteurization causes loss of flavor, aroma, color, taste, and essential nutrients. Recently, non-thermal methods are gaining greater attention for the preservation of fresh juices, which can maintain the nutritional and sensory attributes. In this review article, various techniques used for the preservation of sugarcane juice are analyzed and way forward is presented so that it will help ascertain the optimal technique to preserve sugarcane juice.