Water kefir is considered to be a functional food with probiotic characteristics. It can be improved with addition of organic brown sugar and fruits native to Brazil, such as jaboticaba. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of brown sugar type: organic and conventional and the presence or absence of jaboticaba pulp in water kefir fermentation, based on the carbohydrate, organic acid, mineral composition and color profile. The fermentation process was carried out in two stages: with kefir grains, for 24 hours, at 25 °C and after filtration, maintained for 24 h at 25 °C in hermetic bottles, followed by a period of 8h refrigeration, and monitored every 8 h. Scanning electron microscopy of the kefir grains was performed after 24 h. The major changes in physicochemical patterns occurred up to 40 h. The final beverages presented acidic characteristics as a result of the production of lactic, acetic and succinic acids. The total sugar content had a reduction of around 50%. The sucrose content was reduced and the glucose and fructose increased. The use of organic sugar influenced the composition of the minerals. The characteristics related to color showed a tendency to increase over the evaluated times. It was concluded that it is possible to produce beverages fermented by water kefir grains, using organic or conventional brown sugar and jabuticaba pulp, being an alternative for the substitution of soft drinks, since it has no preservatives or food colorings, presents lower content of sugars and can be handcrafted.

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Agricultural year and harvesting season may interfere with yield and post-harvest performance of table cassava cultivars, with consequences for their commercialization and net profit. The objective of this work was to quantify the effects of harvesting season and agricultural year on yield performance of table cassava cultivars and their correlations. Planting was carried out in September in two consecutive years near Londrina city, PR, in a Clay-textured Oxisols red eutrophric. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications, consisting of seven harvesting times (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 months after planting) for each agricultural year. The table cassava cultivars used were: Catarina Amarela, Catarina Branca, Mato Grosso, Pretona, IAPAR 19-Pioneira and IAC 576-70. The following agronomic characteristics were evaluated: number of roots per plant, length, diameter and yield of tuberous roots, as well as the following post-harvest characteristics: net yield and peeling time per kg of each cassava genotype. The cultivars, harvesting time and agricultural year affected the yield and post-harvest characteristics. ‘IAPAR 19-Pioneira’ presented a larger number of roots per plant (9.9) and peeling time (224.8 seconds.kg-1), but lower yield % (66.2%) and diameter of tuberous roots (4.0 cm), regardless of harvest time and year of planting. 'Catarina Amarela', 'Catarina Branca', 'IAC 576-70' and 'Pretona' provided higher yields, diameters and reduced peeling times. The root mean diameter is one of the characteristics that can be used as a selection criterion in a table cassava genetic breeding program: the larger the root mean diameter the larger are tuber root yield and percentage of weight of the tradable part of the roots, and the lower is the time of peeling.

The green banana biomass is a new product which has easy applicability in recipes, adding benefits to people's health because it is an ingredient high in resistant starch, recommended for prevention and support in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, cancer, intestinal disorders, celiac disease etc. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential use of green banana biomass in the preparation of chocolate cake and salty pie. The biomass replaced part of the wheat flour used in the recipes at a ratio of 30% and 50% for the cake and pie, respectively. The green banana biomass, with and without skin, were analyzed for proximate composition. Tests were conducted ranking preference for the cakes and salty pies. The recipe for chocolate cake containing biomass with the peel was the most preferred (60%), and the traditional recipe was the least preferred (54%). In reference to the salty pies, among the most preferred samples, those containing biomass from the pulp of unripe banana came in first place (44%) and, among the least favorite, the traditional recipe prevailed (54%). In an analysis of purchase intention all the preparations had a good intention of purchase. Using the biomass of green bananas for the purpose of using it´s prebiotic property promotes the intake of a functional agent in food in a simple manner, giving rise to a new product.

Yield and culinary quality of tuber cassava roots can be influenced by several factors such as genotype, soil fertility, cultural management, climatic conditions, harvest, handling and storage after harvest as well as cooking ways. For consumers, the most important characteristics for sweet cassava roots are how fast they are cooked and its taste. Thus, the objective of this research was to the study the evolution of different methods to evaluate tuber cassava roots cooking time that can be used by breeders. It is essential that statistical analyses are realized, in order to arrive to confident results. Other important observations are the cost and ease of application of the methodology and whether more sophisticated equipment is available. Certainly, it is desirable an increase in carotenes, proteins, as well as yield, once for millions, sweet cassava is the main source of energy.