STORAGE AND ANALYSIS OF CANE JUICE SAMPLES

Two methods of storing cane juice samples prior to their analysis for purposes of cane payment were compared: freeze-storage at 4 degrees C followed by defrosting in a warm water bath or in a microwave oven, and preserving with lead subacetate (the preferred technique). Negligible differences were found between the results of the two methods. Comparison between sucrose determination by HPLC, an enzymic method and a modified polarimetric method showed that HPLC was not sufficiently accurate, while there was very close agreement between the other two methods.