Effects of thermal and temporal conditions on the quality attributes of palm sugar milk coffee

Palm sugar milk coffee (PSMC), a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage with a distinct palm sugar flavor, exhibited a significant decrease in acidity after 8 weeks of storage, despite a 52-week shelf life at room temperature. A study investigated the impact of storage temperature (30°C and 20°C) and storage time (0 to 12 weeks) on PSMC’s acidity, total microbes, and sensory attributes using a two-factor Randomized Block Design with two repetitions. The analysis revealed that storage time significantly influenced the pH value of PSMC, confirming the observed decrease in acidity. However, storage temperature did not significantly affect the pH, total microbial count, or sensory characteristics (p>0.05). The sensory evaluation indicated that the product remained acceptable for up to 12 weeks of storage, maintaining a pH range of 6.52 to 6.58. In conclusion, while storage time significantly impacts PSMC’s acidity, storage temperature does not, and the product retains acceptable sensory quality for 12 weeks.