QUALITY AND SAFETY OF WINE MADE FROM INTACT AND PEELED FRUITS OF CACTUS PEAR (OPUNTIA SPP.)

There is real concern about the allegedly high methanol content in beverages made from cactus pear juice. Until now the precise quantification of methanol in cactus pear wine had not been documented. The objective of this study was to characterize peeled and intact cactus pears of four cultivars as raw material for wine-making process, and determine fermenting efficiency, the methanol and ethanol contents and some quality attributes in their wines. The presence of peel did not affect acidity of the must. The highest content of total soluble solids (13.6°Brix) was found in the must of the cultivar ‘Rojo Tecamachalco’, followed by ‘Cristalina’ (13.2°Brix). Wines made from intact fruit had higher acidity than those made from peeled fruit. The wines made with peeled ‘Villanueva’ fruits, in general, had significantly greater fermenting efficiency (74%) and higher alcohol content (6.2%) than intact fruits. The presence of the peel did not affect methanol content. According to the results of this work, methanol was present in all of the wines made from cactus pear fruits of the four evaluated cultivars, but in concentrations below the limit established by the Official Mexican Norm (NOM 142 SSA 1-1995). It was thus concluded that making a beverage with a pleasant sweet fruity taste with low alcoholic content it is a good, adequate and safe alternative for the agroindustry use of the cactus pear fruit.