Method for producing beer-taste beverage, beer-taste beverage, and method for reducing total purine body content in beer-taste beverage

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a beer-taste beverage that can efficiently reduce a total purine body content.SOLUTION: A method for producing a beer-taste beverage includes the step of adjusting the ratio of a pH to a total purine body content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, a beer-taste beverage, and a method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-taste beverage. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, rising health consciousness has led to an increasing demand for beer-flavored beverages with reduced purine content. Various methods have been disclosed for producing beer-flavored beverages with reduced purine content. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fermented malt beverage that has a malt ratio of 10% by mass or more, a purine content of less than 2.0 mg / 100 ml, and a raw wort extract concentration of 5.0% by mass or more, and contains acetaldehyde and isoamyl alcohol, with the ratio [(Y) / (X)] of the isoamyl alcohol content (Y) (unit: ppm by mass) to the acetaldehyde content (X) (unit: ppm by mass) being 4.0 to 70.0, while still retaining the taste of a beer-flavored beverage and suppressing undesirable aromas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-141129 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it cannot be said that sufficient research has been conducted to date into methods for producing beer-taste beverages that can efficiently reduce the purine content. The present invention was made in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a method for producing a beer-taste beverage that can efficiently reduce the total purine content. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-taste beverage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, which comprises a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher.

[0006] In this specification, the "ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL)" is also referred to as the "pH / total purine ratio." The production method of the present invention controls the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) of a beer-taste beverage within a specific range, thereby efficiently reducing the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage.

[0007] In the above-mentioned production method, the adjusting step may include adjusting the pH of the solution after the preparation step and adding activated carbon to the pH-adjusted solution to perform activated carbon treatment, which makes it easier to adjust the pH / total purine ratio within the above range and more efficiently reduces the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage.

[0008] In the above production method, the ratio may be 5.5 or greater, thereby enabling the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage to be reduced even more efficiently.

[0009] In the above production method, the ratio may be equal to or greater than 9. This makes it possible to reduce the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage even more efficiently.

[0010] In the above production method, the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage may be less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL.

[0011] In the above production method, the beer-taste beverage may have a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more.

[0012] The present invention also relates to a beer-taste beverage having a ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) of 4.0 or higher.

[0013] The beer-taste beverage may have the ratio of 5.5 or greater.

[0014] The beer-taste beverage may have the ratio of 9 or greater.

[0015] The beer-taste beverage may have a total purine content of less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL.

[0016] The beer-taste beverage may have a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more.

[0017] The present invention also relates to a method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher.

[0018] The present invention encompasses, for example, the following. [1] A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher. [2] The manufacturing method according to [1], wherein the adjusting step includes adjusting the pH of the solution after the loading step, and adding activated carbon to the pH-adjusted solution to perform activated carbon treatment. [3] The manufacturing method according to [1] or [2], wherein the ratio is 5.5 or more. [4] The method according to [1] or [2], wherein the ratio is 9 or more. [5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage is less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL. [6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the beer-taste beverage has a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more. [7] A beer-flavored beverage with a pH to total purine content (mg / 100mL) ratio of 4.0 or higher. [8] The beer-taste beverage according to [7], wherein the ratio is 5.5 or greater. [9] The beer-taste beverage according to [7], wherein the ratio is 9 or greater.

[10] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [7] to [9], wherein the total purine content is less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL.

[11] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [6] to

[10] , wherein the malt ratio is 50% by mass or more.

[12] A method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The present invention provides a method for producing a beer-taste beverage that can efficiently reduce the total purine content. The present invention also provides a beer-taste beverage with a reduced total purine content. The present invention further provides a method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-taste beverage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0021] In this specification, "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. Examples of beer-taste beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as "sparkling alcoholic beverages" (beer, happoshu, and other sparkling alcoholic beverages) under the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 8 of 2020). Examples of other sparkling alcoholic beverages include "other brewed alcoholic beverages (sparkling) (2)" and "liqueurs (sparkling) (2)." Beer-taste beverages also include beverages and soft drinks (e.g., non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages) that do not fall under the category of sparkling alcoholic beverages under the Liquor Tax Act. The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not limited to the above examples.

[0022] As used herein, "purine" refers collectively to purine bases and compounds (purine compounds) that can liberate purine bases through acid hydrolysis. Examples of purine compounds include nucleosides and nucleotides. Purine bases refer to adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine. As used herein, "total purine content" refers to the measured purine base content in an acid-treated sample (wort, post-fermentation liquid, etc.).

[0023] Acid treatment can be carried out by adding a 70% aqueous solution of perchloric acid to a sample (e.g., wort, post-fermentation liquid, etc.) to a concentration of 10 v / v%, and incubating the sample on a heat block set to 100°C for 1.5 hours.

[0024] The total purine content can be determined by measuring the contents of adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine using a high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS) and adding these up.

[0025] In this specification, the "ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL)" (pH / total purine ratio) is a value calculated by the following formula (1). Equation (1) pH / total purine ratio = pH / total purine content (mg / 100 mL)

[0026] [Method for producing beer-flavored beverage, and beer-flavored beverage] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment includes a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher.

[0027] In the step of adjusting the pH / total purine ratio to 4.0 or higher (pH / total purine ratio adjusting step), the total purine content and / or pH may be adjusted at any stage in the production method for a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment to adjust the pH / total purine ratio of the beer-taste beverage to 4.0 or higher, and it is preferable to adjust the total purine content, or the total purine content and pH, to adjust the pH / total purine ratio of the beer-taste beverage to 4.0 or higher. Methods for adjusting the pH and total purine content are described below.

[0028] From the perspective of efficiently reducing the total purine content, the pH / total purine ratio of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 4.0 or higher, and may be, for example, 4.5 or higher, 5.0 or higher, 5.5 or higher, 6 or higher, 6.5 or higher, 7 or higher, 7.5 or higher, 8 or higher, 8.5 or higher, 9 or higher, 9.5 or higher, or 10 or higher. The pH / total purine ratio of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may also be, for example, 50 or lower, 45 or lower, 40 or lower, 35 or lower, 30 or lower, 25 or lower, 20 or lower, 19 or lower, 18 or lower, 17 or lower, 16 or lower, 15 or lower, 14 or lower, 13 or lower, 12 or lower, 11 or lower, or 10 or lower.

[0029] The pH of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment (pH as a final product) may be, for example, 3.0 or higher, 3.1 or higher, 3.2 or higher, 3.3 or higher, 3.4 or higher, 3.5 or higher, 3.6 or higher, 3.7 or higher, 3.8 or higher, 3.9 or higher, 4.0 or higher, 4.1 or higher, or 4.2 or higher. The pH of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may also be 6.0 or lower, 5.9 or lower, 5.8 or lower, 5.7 or lower, 5.6 or lower, 5.5 or lower, 5.4 or lower, 5.3 or lower, 5.2 or lower, 5.1 or lower, 5.0 or lower, 4.9 or lower, 4.8 or lower, 4.7 or lower, or 4.6 or lower.

[0030] The pH can be adjusted, for example, by adding an acidulant at any stage during the production of a beer-taste beverage so that the pH falls within the above range; by appropriately selecting the type of raw material or the type of microorganism so that the pH is increased or decreased; by appropriately adjusting the fermentation conditions; or by any combination of these methods. Examples of acidulants include lactic acid, phosphoric acid, citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, pyruvic acid, and phytic acid. The acidulant used to adjust the pH may be lactic acid, as it has a more excellent bacteriostatic effect. When adjusting the pH by adding an acidulant, the amount of acidulant added may be appropriately determined depending on the type of acidulant added, etc.

[0031] The pH of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.7 pH" in the "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee) and revised and expanded in 2013)."

[0032] The total purine content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 2.5 mg / 100 mL or less, 2.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 1.5 mg / 100 mL or less, 1.0 mg / 100 mL or less, 0.7 mg / 100 mL or less, 0.5 mg / 100 mL or less, less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL, less than 0.4 mg / 100 mL, or less than 0.3 mg / 100 mL. The total purine content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.01 mg / 100 mL or more, 0.05 mg / 100 mL or more, 0.1 mg / 100 mL or more, or 0.2 mg / 100 mL or more.

[0033] The purine content can be adjusted, for example, by adding a purine source at any stage during the production of a beer-taste beverage so that the content falls within the above range; by appropriately selecting the type of raw material, the type of enzyme, or the activated carbon treatment conditions (e.g., type of activated carbon, activated carbon concentration, stirring speed, etc.) or the type of purine adsorbent so that the purine content increases or decreases; or by any combination of these methods. The purine source may be, for example, a purine (at least one purine base selected from the group consisting of adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine) itself, or a microbial-derived raw material (e.g., yeast extract), a plant-derived raw material (e.g., malt extract, soybean peptide, pea protein), or a product thereof that has been subjected to hydrolysis or other treatment. The pea protein used in the present invention is a commercially available vegetable protein extracted from peas and purified and separated.

[0034] The pH / total purine ratio adjusting step preferably includes adjusting the pH of the solution after the preparation step and adding activated carbon to the pH-adjusted solution to perform activated carbon treatment. This facilitates adjusting the pH / total purine ratio to within the above range, thereby more efficiently reducing the total purine content in the beer-taste beverage. One reason for this is thought to be that, as shown in the Examples below, adjusting the pH can control the efficiency of purine adsorption onto activated carbon.

[0035] Adjusting the pH of the solution after the brewing step includes not only adjusting the pH to a different value from that at the time the solution was obtained, but also adjusting the pH so as to maintain the pH at the time the solution was obtained. The pH range of the solution after the brewing step may be, for example, as described for the beer-taste beverage of this embodiment. The pH of the solution after the brewing step may be the same as or different from the pH of the beer-taste beverage of this embodiment.

[0036] The pH of the solution after the brewing step can be adjusted by, for example, adding an acidulant to the solution after the brewing step, appropriately selecting the type of raw material or the type of microorganism that will increase or decrease the pH, appropriately adjusting the fermentation conditions, or any combination of these, as described above for the beer-taste beverage of this embodiment.

[0037] The activated carbon treatment may be carried out by adding activated carbon to the solution after the pH-adjusted charging step. The activated carbon treatment may include removing the activated carbon after the activated carbon treatment. The activated carbon can be removed by a conventional method. For example, the activated carbon can be removed by filtration, centrifugation, or the like.

[0038] The average pore diameter of the activated carbon used in the activated carbon treatment may be 4.5 nm or less, 3.6 nm or less, 3.0 nm or less, 2.8 nm or less, 2.4 nm or less, or 2.0 nm or less. The average pore diameter of the activated carbon may be 1.0 nm or more, 1.2 nm or more, 1.5 nm or more, or 1.8 nm or more. The average pore diameter of the activated carbon is preferably 1.0 nm or more and 3.6 nm or less, and more preferably 1.8 nm or more and 2.0 nm or less.

[0039] Specifically, the average pore diameter is calculated from the specific surface area (A) and the total pore volume (V) measured by the BET method according to the following formula (2). Equation (2) Average pore diameter = 4 × [pore volume (V)] / [specific surface area (A)]

[0040] Examples of the raw material for the activated carbon (activated carbon raw material) include coconut (coconut shell) and wood (lumber).

[0041] The pore volume of the activated carbon is preferably 1.3 mL / g or more and 2.2 mL / g or less. The pore volume of the activated carbon may be 1.5 mL / g or more, 1.6 mL / g or more, 1.7 mL / g or more, or 1.8 mL / g or more, and may be 3.6 mL / g or less, 2.8 mL / g or less, 2.2 mL / g or less, or 1.9 mL / g or less. The pore volume of the activated carbon can be measured by the BET method.

[0042] The specific surface area of the activated carbon is 1700m 2 / g or less, and 2 The specific surface area of the activated carbon may be 1000 m / g or less. 2 / g or more, or 1100m 2 The specific surface area of the activated carbon can be measured by the BET method.

[0043] The average particle size of the activated carbon may be 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less, or 40 μm or more and 70 μm or less. The average particle size can be measured in accordance with "JIS K 1474:2014 Activated Carbon Test Method 7.5 Effective Diameter, Uniformity Coefficient and Average Particle Size."

[0044] The amount of activated carbon added may be, for example, 100 mg / L or more, 200 mg / L or more, 300 mg / L or more, 400 mg / L or more, 500 mg / L or more, 600 mg / L or more, 700 mg / L or more, 800 mg / L or more, 900 mg / L or more, 1000 mg / L or more, 1100 mg / L or more, 1200 mg / L or more, 1300 mg / L or more, 1400 mg / L or more, 1500 mg / L or more, 1600 mg / L or more, 1700 mg / L or more, or 1800 mg / L or more relative to the total amount of the solution after the charging step. Furthermore, the amount of activated carbon added may be, for example, 3000 mg / L or less, 2900 mg / L or less, 2800 mg / L or less, 2700 mg / L or less, 2600 mg / L or less, 2500 mg / L or less, 2400 mg / L or less, 2300 mg / L or less, 2200 mg / L or less, 2100 mg / L or less, or 2000 mg / L or less, relative to the total amount of the solution after the charging step.

[0045] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may include a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to bitterness value (BU) (hereinafter also referred to as "pH / bitterness value ratio") (a pH / bitterness value ratio adjustment step). In the pH / bitterness value ratio adjustment step, the bitterness value and / or pH are adjusted at any stage in the method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment, thereby adjusting the pH / bitterness value ratio of the beer-taste beverage. The method for adjusting pH is as described above. In this specification, the pH / bitterness value ratio is a value calculated using the following formula (3): Equation (3) pH / bitterness value ratio = pH / bitterness value (BU)

[0046] From the perspective of efficiently reducing the total purine content while maintaining the bitterness value, the pH / bitterness value ratio of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 1 or less, 0.9 or less, 0.8 or less, 0.75 or less, 0.7 or less, 0.65 or less, 0.6 or less, 0.55 or less, 0.5 or less, 0.45 or less, 0.4 or less, 0.35 or less, 0.3 or less, 0.25 or less, 0.2 or less, or 0.1 or less. Furthermore, the pH / bitterness value ratio of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.01 or more, 0.05 or more, 0.1 or more, 0.15 or more, 0.2 or more, 0.25 or more, 0.3 or more, or 0.35 or more.

[0047] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, from 0 to 50. The BU of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40 or less, 30 or less, 20 or less, 15 or less, 14 or less, 13 or less, 12 or less, 11 or less, or 10 or less, or may be 0 or more, more than 0, 0.1 or more, 0.5 or more, 1 or more, 2 or more, 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 10 or more, 15 or more, 17 or more, or 20 or more.

[0048] The bitterness value can be adjusted by, for example, adding a bittering agent at any stage in the production of a beer-taste beverage so that the bitterness value falls within the above range, appropriately selecting the type, amount of raw material used, or type of microorganism or enzyme that will increase or decrease the bitterness value, appropriately setting the production conditions (e.g., when hops are included as a raw material, the boiling time after hop addition, etc.), selecting a raw material addition method, appropriately setting the timing of raw material addition, or any combination of these. The bittering agent may be added, for example, by adding a hop-derived bitter substance itself, or by adding a composition containing a hop-derived bitter substance.

[0049] The bitterness value of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

[0050] Apart from the preparation step described above, the method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be similar to known methods for producing beer-taste beverages, and may include, for example, a brewing step.

[0051] The brewing process is a process for preparing a brewing liquid. In this specification, "brewing liquid" refers to the raw material liquid obtained in the brewing process. In addition, in this specification, "raw material liquid" is a general term for liquids used in the production process of beer-taste beverages. Examples of brewing liquid include a solution obtained by mixing raw materials and water, a saccharified liquid, a saccharified liquid after boiling, a saccharified liquid after solids have been removed, and wort. In addition, when the method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment includes a fermentation process described below, examples of raw material liquids used in the fermentation process include a pre-fermentation liquid (wort), a liquid during fermentation, and a liquid after fermentation. Wort is an unfermented liquid obtained through the saccharification of the above-mentioned barley raw material, etc.

[0052] The preparation step may include, for example, blending a purine source, sugars (soybean polysaccharides, liquid sugar, etc.), bittering agents, acidulants, flavoring agents, and, if necessary, alcohol, other additives, etc., into water.

[0053] The brewing process may also include, for example, saccharifying the brewing raw material to obtain a saccharified solution, filtering the saccharified solution, boiling the filtered saccharified solution, removing solids from the saccharified solution after boiling (e.g., removing solids with a whirlpool), cooling the saccharified solution from which the solids have been removed, and filtering the cooled saccharified solution, in this order.

[0054] The saccharified solution may be obtained, for example, by adding raw materials and water, adjusting the temperature to 50 to 76°C, and maintaining that temperature. Specifically, the temperature is maintained at 50 to 76°C for, for example, 1 to 200 minutes. This allows, for example, saccharification of the raw materials to proceed, and soluble components to elute, resulting in a saccharified solution containing components necessary for yeast metabolism. The obtained saccharified solution may be used as wort directly, or may be used after filtering, boiling, removing solids and cooling, and filtering after cooling.

[0055] As the raw material for the feed, a barley raw material may be used, or a raw material other than a barley raw material may be used, or a combination of these may be used, and it is preferable to use a barley raw material.

[0056] Examples of the barley raw material include barley, wheat, oats, rye, and adlay. The barley raw material may be barley or malt. The barley raw material may contain barley, malt, or both.

[0057] When the feedstock contains malt, the malt ratio in the feedstock (the ratio of malt to all ingredients other than water and hops) may be greater than 0% by mass and less than 100% by mass. The malt ratio may be 10% by mass or greater, 20% by mass or greater, 30% by mass or greater, or 40% by mass or greater. From the viewpoint of more significantly achieving the effects of the present invention, the malt ratio is preferably 50% by mass or greater, 60% by mass or greater, 65% by mass or greater, 66% by mass or greater, 67% by mass or greater, 70% by mass or greater, 80% by mass or greater, 90% by mass or greater, 95% by mass or greater, 99% by mass or greater, or 100% by mass. The malt ratio in the feedstock may also be less than 100% by mass, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, or less than 50% by mass.

[0058] Examples of raw materials other than barley raw materials include grains such as corn, rice, and sorghum; potatoes such as potatoes and sweet potatoes; beans such as soybeans and peas; plant raw materials such as herbs and spices; and carbohydrate raw materials (sugars) such as starch, grits, liquid sugar, granulated sugar, and other powdered sugars.

[0059] When sugars are used, the sugar content (ratio to the ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, more than 0% by mass, 10% by mass or more, 15% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 25% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 35% by mass or more, or 40% by mass or more. The sugar content (ratio to the ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, 50% by mass or less, 45% by mass or less, 40% by mass or less, 35% by mass or less, 30% by mass or less, 25% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, 15% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less.

[0060] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain water-soluble dietary fiber as an ingredient. Water-soluble dietary fiber is dietary fiber that is soluble in water. Dietary fiber is an indigestible component in food that cannot be digested by human digestive enzymes. Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber include indigestible dextrin, indigestible glucan, and other indigestible polysaccharides. One type of water-soluble dietary fiber may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. When water-soluble dietary fiber is used, the proportion of water-soluble dietary fiber used (the proportion of ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 2% by mass or more, 3% by mass or more, 4% by mass or more, or 5% by mass or more. Furthermore, the proportion of water-soluble dietary fiber used (the proportion of ingredients other than water and hops) may be, for example, 10% by mass or less, 9% by mass or less, 8% by mass or less, 7% by mass or less, or 6% by mass or less.

[0061] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain other ingredients commonly used in beverages, such as bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, and salts, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. In addition to the hops mentioned above, bittering agents include caffeine, gentian extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, bitter persimmon extract, artemisia extract, and cinchona extract. Coloring agents include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Sweeteners include high-fructose glucose syrup, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, saccharin sodium, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and sodium DL-malate. Examples of salts include sodium chloride, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0062] The carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is preferably less than 1.0 g / 100 mL, and more preferably 0.8 g / 100 mL or less, 0.7 g / 100 mL or less, 0.6 g / 100 mL or less, or 0.5 g / 100 mL or less. A carbohydrate content below (or equal to) a predetermined value makes the beverage suitable for health-conscious consumers. Furthermore, when producing a beer-taste beverage, lowering the malt ratio generally contributes to reducing the carbohydrate content. However, this also reduces the buffering capacity for the pH of the raw material liquid. Furthermore, if the production method for the beer-taste beverage includes a fermentation step, the beer-taste beverage is likely to be affected by organic acids produced during fermentation, which is thought to be a factor in lowering the pH. For this reason, beer-taste beverages with lower carbohydrate contents are more likely to exhibit the effect of reducing the total purine content by adjusting the pH / total purine ratio. The lower limit of the carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, more than 0.00 g / 100 mL, 0.05 g / 100 mL or more, or 0.1 g / 100 mL or more.

[0063] In this specification, carbohydrates refer to carbohydrates based on the Nutrition Labeling Standards for Foods (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 176, 2003). Specifically, carbohydrates refer to the amount of food excluding protein, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, water, and alcohol. The carbohydrate content of a beer-taste beverage is calculated by subtracting the amounts of protein, lipids, dietary fiber, ash, water, and alcohol from the weight of the beer-taste beverage. The amounts of protein, lipids, ash, and water are measured using the methods set forth in the Nutrition Labeling Standards. The amount of alcohol can be measured together with the amount of water. Specifically, the amount of protein can be measured by the modified Dumas method for quantifying total nitrogen (protein); the amount of lipids can be measured by the ether extraction method, chloroform-methanol mixed liquid extraction method, Gerber method, acid hydrolysis method, or Roese-Gottlieb method; the amount of dietary fiber can be measured by high-performance liquid chromatography or the Prosky method; the amount of ash can be measured by the magnesium acetate ashing method, direct ashing method, or sulfuric acid ashing method; and the amounts of water and alcohol can be measured by the Karl Fischer method, drying aid method, reduced-pressure heat drying method, atmospheric pressure heat drying method, or plastic film method.

[0064] The carbohydrate content can be adjusted, for example, by adding sugars to the raw material liquid. Alternatively, the carbohydrate content may be adjusted by appropriately selecting the type of raw material so that the carbohydrate content is high or low.

[0065] When obtaining a saccharified solution, an enzyme agent may be added as needed in addition to the starting material and water. Examples of enzymes that can be added in the mashing process include polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (e.g., α-amylase, β-amylase, pullulanase, glucoamylase, α-glucosidase, isoamylase, cellulase (including β-glucanase), hemicellulase, and dextranase). Enzymes may be used singly or in combination. The amount of polysaccharide-degrading enzyme added can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of enzyme used, enzyme activity, type of raw material, etc.

[0066] When the saccharified solution is boiled, hops may be added to the saccharified solution. Examples of hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may also be processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extracts.

[0067] The removal of solids from the saccharified solution after boiling can be achieved, for example, by precipitating insoluble solids contained in the saccharified solution after boiling. Examples of solids include thermal coagulation produced by boiling, and, if hops are added during boiling, hop residue. The removal of solids may be carried out in a whirlpool. Furthermore, when removing solids, the above-mentioned hops may be added to the saccharified solution after boiling.

[0068] The saccharified liquid from which the solids have been removed is cooled, for example, to a temperature at which fermentation by yeast is possible, thereby obtaining a pre-fermentation liquid (cold wort).

[0069] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may include a fermentation step in which brewer's yeast is added to the pre-fermentation liquid (cold wort) obtained in the brewing step, followed by fermentation to obtain a post-fermentation liquid. In the fermentation step, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by the yeast. More specifically, the pre-fermentation liquid is inoculated with yeast and fermented to obtain a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

[0070] The yeast used in the fermentation process may be ordinary beer yeast, or may be yeast with high or low alcohol production ability (e.g., yeast with low maltose assimilation and / or low maltotriose assimilation ability), yeast with high or low ability to produce aroma components, etc., or yeast with high or low ability to produce organic acids.

[0071] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may include an alcohol content adjustment step. The alcohol content adjustment step is a step for adjusting the alcohol content. In the fermentation step, the alcohol content may be adjusted by appropriately selecting the fermentation period or temperature, by appropriately selecting yeast with high or low alcohol-producing ability, or by appropriately selecting the type of enzyme preparation. Alternatively, the alcohol content may be adjusted by adding, removing, or reducing alcohol after fermentation is performed in the same manner as for beer-taste beverages such as regular beer. There are no particular limitations on the alcohol to be added, and it may be, for example, distilled alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, spirits, vodka) or a fermented liquid obtained by brewing. There are no particular limitations on the method for removing or reducing the alcohol, and it may be carried out according to conventional methods such as distillation, dialysis, and dilution.

[0072] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1% v / v or more, or a beer-taste non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1% v / v. In this specification, "alcohol" refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0073] When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a beer-taste alcoholic beverage, the alcohol content may be, for example, 1 v / v% or more, 2 v / v% or more, 3 v / v% or more, 3.5 v / v% or more, 4 v / v% or more, 4.5 v / v% or more, 5 v / v% or more, 5.5 v / v% or more, 6.0 v / v% or more, or 6.5 v / v% or more. Furthermore, the alcohol content of the beer-taste alcoholic beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 20 v / v% or less, 15 v / v% or less, 10 v / v% or less, 9 v / v% or less, 8 v / v% or less, 7 v / v% or less, 6.5 v / v% or less, 6 v / v% or less, 5.5 v / v% or less, 5 v / v% or less, 4.5 v / v% or less, 4 v / v% or less, 3.5 v / v% or less, or 3 v / v% or less.

[0074] When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, the alcohol content may be less than 1 v / v%, but may be 0.9 v / v% or less, 0.8 v / v% or less, 0.7 v / v% or less, 0.6 v / v% or less, 0.5 v / v% or less, 0.4 v / v% or less, 0.3 v / v% or less, 0.2 v / v% or less, 0.1 v / v% or less, or less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%). Furthermore, the alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.005 v / v% or more, 0.1 v / v% or more, 0.2 v / v% or more, 0.3 v / v% or more, 0.4 v / v% or more, or 0.5 v / v% or more.

[0075] The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" or "8.3.7 Headspace GC-FID Method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013), or by the method described in "3-4 Alcohol Content" of the National Tax Agency's Prescribed Analysis Methods.

[0076] The production method according to this embodiment may include, as post-fermentation steps, a step of maturing and cooling the post-fermentation liquid, and a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid (first filtration step). By carrying out the first filtration step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc. can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0077] In the production method according to this embodiment, as another post-fermentation step, the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the first filtration step) may be heated (sterilized) or the like.

[0078] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may include a storage step in which the post-fermentation liquid is stored to obtain a storage liquid, a filtration step (second filtration step) in which the storage liquid is filtered to obtain a filtrate, and a filling step in which the filtrate after the second filtration step is filled into a container.

[0079] In the method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment, the solution after the brewing step in which activated carbon treatment is performed may be, for example, a brewing liquid, a post-fermentation liquid, a solution obtained by aging, cooling, or filtering a post-fermentation liquid, a solution after the storage step, a solution after the storage step and before the second filtration step (stored liquid), a solution after the second filtration step, or a solution after the second filtration step and before the filling step.

[0080] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be a fermented beverage (a beer-taste fermented beverage) or a non-fermented beverage (a beer-taste non-fermented beverage). Fermented beverages are produced through fermentation with yeast or the like. Non-fermented beverages are produced without fermentation with yeast or the like. Note that non-fermented beverages also include beer-taste beverages produced by blending alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as spirits or raw material alcohol) without fermentation with yeast or the like.

[0081] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be either non-sparkling or sparkling. Here, non-sparkling refers to a beverage that has a gas pressure of 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm) at 20°C. 2 ) at 20°C, and foaming refers to a state in which the gas pressure is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm2 ) or more. In the case of foaming, the upper limit of gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm 2 ) and 0.25 MPa (2.55 kg / cm 2 ) may be sufficient.

[0082] The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be served in a container. Any container that can be sealed can be used, and metal (such as aluminum or steel) cans or barrels can be used. Glass containers, PET bottles, paper containers, pouches, and other containers can also be used. The container capacity is not particularly limited, and any currently available containers can be used. Metal containers are preferred because they completely block gases, moisture, and light, and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for long periods of time.

[0083] [Method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-flavored beverage] The method for producing a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment includes a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher, thereby efficiently reducing the total purine content of the beer-taste beverage. Therefore, the present invention can also be considered a method for reducing the total purine content of a beer-taste beverage, which includes a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher. The above-mentioned aspects can be applied to this method without any particular limitations as specific aspects of the method.

[0084] [Method for controlling the adsorption efficiency of purines onto activated carbon] As shown in the Examples below, in the production of beer-taste beverages, the adsorption efficiency of purines to activated carbon can be controlled by adjusting the pH. Therefore, the present invention can also be considered as a method for controlling the adsorption efficiency of purines to activated carbon, which includes adjusting the pH. Adjusting the pH is as described above.

[0085] The purine adsorption efficiency to activated carbon may be, for example, the ratio of the difference between the total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution before activated carbon treatment and the total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution after activated carbon treatment to the total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution before activated carbon treatment (hereinafter also referred to as the "total purine adsorption rate"). [Example]

[0086] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0087] (Test example: Evaluation of total purine content in beer-flavored beverages) A pre-fermentation solution was prepared using brewing water, malt, and sugars according to standard methods. Brewer's yeast was inoculated into the resulting pre-fermentation solution, which was then fermented for a certain period of time to obtain a post-fermentation solution. The resulting post-fermentation solution was filtered to produce a solution with a malt ratio of 51%. The degassed solution was adjusted to the pH / total purine ratio and pH / bitterness value ratio shown in Table 1 using the following procedure to produce beer-taste beverages (Samples 2 to 10). First, 90% lactic acid was added to the solution to achieve the pH shown in Table 1. Activated carbon was added to the solution in the proportion shown in Table 1 and stirred at 5°C for 20 minutes for activated carbon treatment. The solution was then filtered through filter paper and then treated with a filter (Dismic (registered trademark, manufactured by Advantec Co., Ltd.). As a control, a beer-taste beverage (Sample 1) was prepared without the activated carbon treatment and without adjusting the pH / total purine ratio and pH / bitterness value ratio.

[0088] The pH was measured according to the method described in "8.7 pH" in the "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee) and revised and expanded in 2013)."

[0089] The bitterness value was measured using the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" in the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewery Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013).

[0090] The total purine content of the beer-taste beverages produced in Samples 1 to 10 was determined by subjecting the samples to acid treatment, measuring the adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine contents using a high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS), and adding up the total values. The acid treatment was performed by adding 10% v / v of a 70% aqueous solution of perchloric acid to the samples and incubating them on a heat block set to 100°C for 1.5 hours. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0091] In Table 1, "bitterness value adsorption rate" and "total purine adsorption rate" indicate the ratio of the difference between the bitterness value (BU) or total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution before activated carbon treatment and the bitterness value (BU) or total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution after activated carbon treatment to the bitterness value (BU) or total purine content (mg / 100 mL) in the solution before activated carbon treatment (formula (4) or (5) below). Equation (4) Bitterness value adsorption rate = {bitterness value (BU) in the solution before activated carbon treatment - bitterness value (BU) in the solution after activated carbon treatment} / bitterness value (BU) in the solution before activated carbon treatment Equation (5) Total purine adsorption rate = {Total purine content in the solution before activated carbon treatment (mg / 100 mL) - Total purine content in the solution after activated carbon treatment (mg / 100 mL)} / Total purine content in the solution before activated carbon treatment (mg / 100 mL)

[0092] [Table 1]

[0093] Beer-taste beverages (Samples 2 to 10) produced by adjusting the pH / total purine ratio to 4.0 or higher had even lower total purine contents, demonstrating efficient reduction of the total purine content. Furthermore, the pH / total purine ratio of beer-taste beverages could be adjusted by adjusting the pH of the solution after the brewing process and by adding activated carbon to the pH-adjusted solution after the brewing process and performing activated carbon treatment. Furthermore, the higher the pH, the greater the total purine adsorption rate, while the lower the BU adsorption rate. Generally, the bitterness value is an indicator of the content of the main flavor components in a beer-taste beverage. These findings suggest that the present invention is useful for producing beer-taste beverages with reduced total purine content while maintaining a favorable flavor for beer-taste beverages.

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising a step of adjusting the ratio of pH to total purine content (mg / 100 mL) to 4.0 or higher.

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