A novel digital image method for determination of reducing sugars in aged and non-aged cachaças employing a smartphone

Abstract For the first time, a method is proposed for colorimetric determination of reducing sugars in cachaca employing digital image and a smartphone as detector. The method was based on the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) by sugars and followed by the formation of a colored Cu(I)-Neocuproine complex. A calibration curve was linear from 0.1 to 15 g L-1 for glucose and fructose with limits of detection of 0.012 g L-1 and 0.010 g L-1, respectively. It was observed that the non-aged cachacas, known for having inferior flavors and aromas, had a reducing sugar content three times higher than the aged cachacas, once a common practice among producers is to add sugar to adjust sensory deficits in the final product. Furthermore, the method is simple, does not require complex technical knowledge and it could be used as a tool to check possible fraud, adulteration or non-compliance to the law.