Desarrollo y caracterización de una bebida alcohólica espirituosa a partir de la fermentación y destilación de residuos de panificación

Abstract

The overproduction of solid waste by the artisanal bakery industry demands valorisation strategies. This study aimed to develop and characterize a spirit drink produced through the fermentation and distillation of bakery waste. The methodology employed a mixture of bakery products converted into flour using a standardized processing protocol, which included an acid wash and enzymatic hydrolysis to produce fermentable sugars, applying a 2 × 3 factorial experimental design that evaluated two yeast variants (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus and S. bayanus) at three substrate concentrations (1:2, 1:3, 1:4). The final distilled product was analyzed physicochemically, microbiologically, and sensorially. The treatment (S. bayanus, 1:4 dilution) presented the best sensory profile in terms of aroma, taste, and acceptability. This treatment complied with safety (NTE INEN-ISO 21527-2) and physicochemical (NTE INEN 2014) standards, reporting an absence of microbiological contaminants, a qualitative absence of methanol, and an absence of furfural as determined by Gas Chromatography (GC). Furthermore, this treatment sensorially outperformed the commercial control owing to an aromatic profile rich in esters, fatty nuances, and cereal notes, favored by fermentation free from osmotic stress. It is concluded that transforming bread waste into a quality alcoholic beverage is technically feasible, providing a circular economy alternative that revalorises by-products that generate losses, through the production of spirits.