JP7608546B2 - A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with reduced sourness - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage and a method for producing the same.

In recent years, the demand for non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages has been increasing from a health perspective. However, non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages have various flavor balance issues due to their low alcohol content.

The inventors discovered a problem with non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages: the balance of flavors that is normally balanced by the alcohol is lost, resulting in a prominent sour taste.

The inventors have investigated the above problems and found that the sourness of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage can be reduced by adjusting the concentration of 5-methyl-2-furfural . The present invention is based on this finding.

Therefore, the present invention provides a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with reduced sourness and a method for producing the same.

According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided.
(1) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a 5-methyl-2-furfural content of 10 ppb or more.
(2) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage as described in (1) above, in which the alcohol (ethanol) concentration is less than 0.005 v/v%.
(3) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, having a caprylic acid content of 0.3 ppm or more.
(4) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, having a capric acid content of 0.03 ppm or more.
(5) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, in which the caprylic acid content is 0.3 ppm or more and the capric acid content is 0.03 ppm or more.
(6) A method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising a step of adjusting the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 10 ppb or more.
(7) The method described in (6) above, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005 v/v%.
(8) A method for reducing the sourness of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the content of 5-methyl-2-furfural in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 10 ppb or more.
(9) The method described in (8) above, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005 v/v%.

The present invention makes it possible to reduce the sourness of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

Description of the Invention

In the present invention, a "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. "Beer-like flavor" means that the beverage exhibits the unique taste and aroma of beer that can be obtained when beer is produced in the usual way, i.e., when beer is produced based on fermentation by yeast or the like.

In the present invention, a "non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage" refers to a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 1% (v/v). According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is less than 0.75% (v/v), more preferably less than 0.5% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.05% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.01% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.009% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.008% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.007% (v/v), even more preferably less than 0.006% (v/v), and even more preferably less than 0.005% (v/v).

In this specification, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg/L" and the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg/L".

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention contains 5-methyl-2-furfural in a specified concentration range. In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention further contains caprylic acid (CAS: 124-07-2) and/or capric acid (CAS: 334-48-5) in specified concentrations.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the content of 5-methyl-2-furfural during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the content of caprylic acid and/or capric acid is also adjusted during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention.

The contents of 5-methyl-2-furfural, caprylic acid, and capric acid may be adjusted, for example, by adding these substances during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, by increasing or decreasing the amount of raw materials that provide these substances to the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, or by adjusting various conditions during production (for example, conditions during the brewing process, saccharification process, fermentation process, etc.).

The lower limit of the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 10 ppb, preferably 25 ppb, more preferably 50 ppb, even more preferably 75 ppb, even more preferably 100 ppb, even more preferably 250 ppb, and even more preferably 500 ppb. In the present invention, since it has been demonstrated that 5-methyl-2-furfural has a dose-dependent effect of reducing sourness, the upper limit of the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited. However, if an upper limit of the 5-methyl-2-furfural content is to be set, it is set to, for example, 100,000 ppb, preferably 10,000 ppb, more preferably 1,000 ppb, and even more preferably 500 ppb. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 10 ppb or more, preferably 10 to 100,000 ppb, more preferably 10 to 10,000 ppb, even more preferably 10 to 1,000 ppb, and even more preferably 10 to 500 ppb.

Quantitation of 5-methyl-2-furfural in beverages can be performed by GC/MS analysis. Specifically, first, the aroma components in the beverage are separated using a C18 solid-phase extraction column, and the resulting analytical sample is subjected to GC/MS. In addition, borneol can be used as an internal standard substance. Conditions for GC/MS analysis can be, for example, those shown in the examples. For more accurate concentration measurement, it is desirable to use a calibration curve created based on the measured values of several control samples with known concentrations.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the caprylic acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 0.3 ppm or more, more preferably 0.5 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.7 ppm or more, even more preferably 1.0 ppm or more, and preferably 100 ppm or less, more preferably 50 ppm or less, even more preferably 10 ppm or less, and even more preferably 5.0 ppm or less. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the capric acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 0.03 ppm or more, preferably 0.06 ppm or more, more preferably 0.1 ppm or more, and preferably 100 ppm or less, more preferably 50 ppm or less, even more preferably 10 ppm or less, and even more preferably 5.0 ppm or less.

Quantitation of caprylic acid and capric acid in beverages can be performed by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage are extracted using a hydroxide polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the resulting extract is subjected to GC/FID. Trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate can be used as internal standards. The analytical conditions for GC can be, for example, those shown in the Examples. For more accurate concentration measurements, it is desirable to use a calibration curve created based on the measured values of several control samples with known concentrations.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. That is, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain colorants (e.g., caramel color), sweeteners (e.g., high-intensity sweeteners), seasoning components (e.g., amino acids), flavorings (e.g., commercially available beer flavors containing ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, etc., which are typical aroma components of beer), bitter components such as isomerized hop extract, yeast extract, etc. as ingredients.

The pH of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention (measured at 25°C) is preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.5 or lower, more preferably 3.7 or higher and 4.5 or lower, even more preferably 3.8 or higher and 4.5 or lower, and most preferably 3.8 or higher and 4.2 or lower. The pH of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjuster.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage made from malt, more preferably a non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage made from barley malt. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage made from wort. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage made from hops. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-tasted beverage of the present invention is a beverage in which carbon dioxide gas is dissolved, that is, a non-alcoholic beer-tasted carbonated beverage.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the content of 5-methyl-2-furfural at any stage in a general method well known in the art. Such a general method includes, for example, a method including a wort preparation step and a filtration step, and this method can be carried out, for example, by sequentially carrying out the steps of (a) saccharifying a mixture of malt powder and water, filtering the mixture to obtain wort, (b) adding hops to the obtained wort, followed by boiling, (c) cooling the boiled wort, and (d) filtering the cooled wort. Further, such a general method includes a method of producing a fermented malt beverage such as beer, and then removing alcohol from the obtained fermented malt beverage. Methods for removing alcohol from beverages include (i) a method of removing alcohol and low-boiling point components by distillation at reduced pressure or normal pressure, (ii) a method of removing alcohol and low-molecular-weight components using a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, and (iii) a method of removing volatile components by adsorbing them to steam using centrifugal force.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for reducing the sourness of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is provided, the method comprising the step of adjusting the content of 5-methyl-2-furfural in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 10 ppb or more.

The present invention will be specifically described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1: Effect on flavor of adjusting the concentration of 5-methyl-2-furfural, caprylic acid, and capric acid in a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage (1) Sample preparation 1 kg of malt was crushed to an appropriate particle size and placed in a brewing tank, to which 3 L of warm water was added. After holding at 65°C for 20 minutes, the temperature was gradually raised and saccharification was performed at 76°C for 15 minutes. After saccharification was completed, the temperature was raised to 78°C, and then filtration was performed using filter paper to obtain a filtrate. About 0.1 g of hops was added to 1 L of this filtrate, and the mixture was boiled at 100°C for 60 minutes. The boiled liquid was filtered using filter paper and cooled to about 5°C. Hot water was added to the obtained liquid as appropriate so that the sugar content was 3.0°P to adjust the wort. Carbonated water and carbon dioxide gas were added to this wort, and the mixture was stored at 2 to 4°C for 24 hours, and then filtered. A beer flavoring was added to the filtered liquid, and the obtained liquid was designated as base beverage sample A. The alcohol (ethanol) concentration of base beverage sample A was less than 0.005 v/v %.

In addition, after producing a fermented malt beverage using malt and hops, this beverage was subjected to an alcohol removal process, and the resulting liquid was designated as base beverage sample B. Specifically, crushed malt, enzymes, and warm water were placed in a brewing tank, and saccharification was performed at a temperature of 60°C to 78°C. This saccharified liquid was filtered, transferred to a boiling kettle, hops were added, and boiled for 70 minutes. After boiling, the evaporated warm water was added to the resulting mixture, and the heat trub was removed in a whirlpool tank, and then cooled to 10°C to obtain cold wort. Beer yeast was added to this wort, and fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, after which the beer yeast was removed. The resulting mixture was transferred to another tank and aged for 7 days, and then cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The resulting mixture was then diluted with degassed water and filtered to obtain a wort fermentation liquid. Next, it was sprayed into a degassing tank to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to around 50°C. The mixture was then contacted with steam heated to around 50°C in a vacuum column at around 60 mbar, the volatile components were adsorbed by the steam, and the alcohol and volatile components were removed to obtain a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid with an alcohol concentration of less than 0.005 v/v%. This dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid was used as base beverage sample B (alcohol (ethanol) concentration less than 0.005 v/v%).

In addition, 5-methyl-2-furfural (5MF), caprylic acid or capric acid was added to the base beverage samples at the concentrations shown in the table below.

The concentration of 5-methyl-2-furfural (5MF) in each beverage sample in the examples was measured by GC/MS analysis under the following conditions. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage sample were separated using a C18 solid phase column, and the resulting analytical sample was subjected to GC/MS. Quantitation was performed by the internal standard method, and borneol was used as the internal standard substance, added to the analytical sample to a concentration of 50 ppb. The GC/MS analysis conditions were as shown in the table below.

The concentrations of caprylic acid and caproic acid in each beverage in the examples were measured by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverages were extracted using a hydroxide polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the resulting extract was subjected to GC/FID. Trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate were used as internal standards. The GC analysis conditions were as shown in the table below.

(2) Sensory Evaluation of Tasting Samples The tasting samples of each test group prepared in (1) above were subjected to sensory evaluation by a trained panel of seven members. The evaluation item for the sensory evaluation was "strength of sourness." The sensory evaluation was performed on a 10-point scale with a score of 1 (weak sourness) to 10 (strong sourness) in increments of 1.

In this sensory evaluation, the evaluation score of the blended base beverage sample that did not contain 5-methyl-2-furfural (5MF), caprylic acid, or capric acid was fixed at 10, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample that contained 10 ppb of 5-methyl-2-furfural (5MF), 0.3 ppm of caprylic acid, and 0.03 ppm of capric acid was fixed at 1.

(3) Results The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in the table below. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown as the average score and standard deviation of the scores of the seven panelists.

From the results of Test 1 in Table 3, it is clear that 5-methyl-2-furfural has the effect of reducing sourness, and the effect is particularly pronounced at concentrations of 10 ppb or more. Next, from the results of Test 2, it is clear that the effect of reducing sourness becomes more pronounced when the concentration of caprylic acid is adjusted to 0.3 ppm or more in addition to 5-methyl-2-furfural. Also, from the results of Test 3, it is clear that the effect of reducing sourness becomes more pronounced when the concentration of capric acid is adjusted to 0.03 ppm or more in addition to 5-methyl-2-furfural. Furthermore, from the results of Test 4, it is clear that an excellent effect of reducing sourness can be obtained by adjusting the concentrations of the combination of 5-methyl-2-furfural, caprylic acid, and capric acid.

Claims (6)

A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a 5-methyl-2-furfural content of 10 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less , a caprylic acid content of 0.3 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, and a capric acid content of 0.03 ppm or more and 10 ppm or less, and made from a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid (however, this does not include non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages containing a high-intensity sweetener) . The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration is less than 0.005 v/v%. A method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, comprising the steps of adjusting the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 10 ppb and 500 ppb , adjusting the caprylic acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 0.3 ppm and 10 ppm, and adjusting the capric acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 0.03 ppm and 10 ppm, wherein the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is made from a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid as a raw material (however, this method does not include a method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that contains a high-intensity sweetener) . 4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005 v/v %. A method for reducing the sourness of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, comprising the steps of adjusting the 5-methyl-2-furfural content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 10 ppb and 500 ppb , adjusting the caprylic acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 0.3 ppm and 10 ppm, and adjusting the capric acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to between 0.03 ppm and 10 ppm, wherein the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is made from a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid as a raw material (however, this method does not include a method for reducing the sourness in a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that contains a high-intensity sweetener) . 6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005 v/v %.