Physicochemical Evaluation of Sugarcane Molasses (Black Honey) during Storage in Various Packaging Materials

Sugarcane molasses is a nutritious beverage with a black color, characterized by its viscosity, distinctive taste and aroma, which makes it a unique food with high nutritional value. The quality characteristics of sugarcane molasses stored inside various packaging materials at different storage periods were evaluated. The evaluation included the determination of the physicochemical properties of sugarcane molasses stored in four types of packaging materials (glass jar, pottery pitcher, plastic jar and tin container). The stored sugarcane molasses were analyzed periodically at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months for the optical density (at 420 nm), acidity, viscosity values and total phenol content. All studied physicochemical properties increased significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing storage time, the results showed that pottery pitchers and glass jars are suitable for packaging sugarcane molasses. They produce the most stable sugarcane molasses, so they are practical containers to use. Therefore, it is recommended to use this type of packaging materials with care of the storage temperature.