Beer-flavored beverage and method for producing the same

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a novel beer-flavored beverage that combines lightness with the satisfying feeling of a beer. [Solution] According to the present invention, a beer-flavored beverage is provided in which the total concentration of free carboxymethyllysine (CML), free carboxyethyllysine (CEL), and free methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone-1 (MG-H1) is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less, the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 50 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less, conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC gel filtration method), and the total nitrogen concentration is 500 ppm or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage and a method for producing the same. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in addition to the growing health consciousness, drinking scenes and consumer preferences have also diversified. Under such circumstances, development of beer-taste beverages that meet individual needs of consumers is expected. Examples of health-conscious products include light beer, low-calorie or low-sugar beer-taste beverages. While these products are easy to drink (light) when consumed, they do not provide sufficient beer-like satisfaction.

[0003] For beers, as a technique for imparting adequate body, a method of adding alcohols, aldehydes, various sweeteners and the like (Patent Document 1) is known, but none is known that focuses on achieving both lightness and beer-like satisfaction at the same time. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-214262 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a beer-taste beverage that achieves both lightness and beer-like satisfaction. Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The inventors have discovered that by including free Maillard reaction products (F-MRP) and bound Maillard reaction products (B-MRP) within a predetermined concentration range in a beer-flavored beverage having a predetermined total nitrogen concentration, it is possible to achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste in the beverage. The present invention is based on these findings.

[0007] The present invention provides the following inventions. [1] A beer-flavored beverage in which the total concentration of free carboxymethyllysine (CML), free carboxyethyllysine (CEL), and free methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone-1 (MG-H1) is between 55 ppb and 500 ppb, the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is between 50 ppb and 650 ppb, conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC gel filtration method), and the total nitrogen concentration is 500 ppm or less. [2] The beer-flavored beverage described in [1] above, wherein the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is between 200 ppb and 432 ppb. [3] The beer-flavored beverage described in [1] or [2] above, wherein the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 300 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less. [4] A beer-flavored beverage as described in any of [1] to [3] above, having a BU of 10 or more and 30 or less. [5] A beer-flavored beverage as described in any of [1] to [4] above, having a carbohydrate concentration of 2.0 g / 100 mL or less. [6] A beer-flavored beverage as described in any of [1] to [5] above, having an alcohol concentration of 4 v / v% or less. [7] A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage as described in any of [1] to [6] above. [8] A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising the steps of: including the free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 in such a total concentration that it is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less; and including the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 in such a total concentration that it is 50 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less, wherein the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction having a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC analysis gel filtration method), and the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less. [9] A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising the steps of: including in the production of the beverage such that the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less; and including in the beverage such that the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 50 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less, wherein the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC analysis by gel filtration method), and the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less.

[0008] According to the present invention, by including free Maillard reaction products (F-MRP) and bound Maillard reaction products (B-MRP) in a beer-flavored beverage within a predetermined concentration range, it is possible to provide a beer-flavored beverage that combines lightness with the satisfying feeling of beer, which is advantageous in that it can meet the diverse tastes and needs of consumers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a calibration curve created from the retention time of the HPLC analysis gel filtration method performed in Example 1 and the molecular weight of the known substance. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] In this invention, "beer-flavored beverage" means a beverage having a beer-like flavor, and beer-flavored beverages include beer-flavored alcoholic beverages and beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages.

[0011] In this invention, "beer-flavored alcoholic beverage" means a beverage fermented by yeast using a carbon source, a nitrogen source, and water as raw materials, and includes beer and sparkling alcoholic beverages (including those containing distilled alcohol as raw materials and those not containing malt or hops). A preferred embodiment of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage is a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage in which malt and / or ungerminated grains are used as at least part of the raw materials, and more preferably a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage in which malt is used as at least part of the raw materials. Furthermore, in this invention, beer means a beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water, or a beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, water, and certain auxiliary ingredients, and that satisfies the following two conditions (limited to those with an alcohol content of less than 20%). • The malt ratio must be 50 / 100 or higher. - This can mean that the weight of the fruit used (including dried, boiled, or concentrated fruit juice) and certain flavorings does not exceed 5% of the weight of the malt (including those not used) (see the Liquor Tax Act (Law No. 6 of 1953), which came into effect on June 14, 2024).

[0012] In this invention, "beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage" is used to mean both a beverage that contains no alcohol at all, i.e., a beverage with an ethanol concentration of 0.00 v / v%, and a beverage with an ethanol concentration greater than 0.00 v / v% but less than 1 v / v%. Beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages include beer-flavored fermented non-alcoholic beverages and beer-flavored non-fermented non-alcoholic beverages, but beer-flavored fermented non-alcoholic beverages are preferred. Beer-flavored fermented non-alcoholic beverages mean beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages that have undergone a fermentation process using yeast, and include beverages produced by removing the alcohol components produced in the fermentation process after the fermentation process (sometimes referred to as "de-alcoholized beverages" in this specification), and beverages produced by stopping the fermentation process at a stage where the ethanol concentration is less than 1 v / v%. Non-fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages mean beverages produced without undergoing a fermentation process. De-alcoholized beverages can be rephrased as beverages that use de-alcoholized wort fermented liquid as a raw material.

[0013] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may use malt and / or ungerminated grains as at least a part of its raw materials, preferably at least barley malt and wheat malt, or both, as grain-derived raw materials, and may also use malt extract. In the present invention, the proportion of barley malt (mass) in the total mass of raw malt may be, for example, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 100%, and the proportion of wheat malt (mass) in the total mass of raw malt may be, for example, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 100%.

[0014] When the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention uses malt as at least part of its raw materials, the malt usage ratio can be, for example, greater than 0%, 5% or less, 5% or more, 10% or less, 10% or more, 15% or less, 15% or more, 20% or less, 20% or more, 25% or less, 25% or more, 30% or less, 30% or more, 40% or less, 40% or more, 50% or less, 50% or more, 55% or less, 55% or more, 60% or less, 60% or more, 65% or less, 65% or more, 70% or less, 70% or more, 75% or less, 75% or more, 80% or less, 80% or more, 85% or less, 85% or more, 90% or less, 90% or more, 95% or less, 95% or more, 100% or less, or 100%. "or less" can be written as "less than", and "or more" can be written as "greater than". These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way. In this invention, "malt usage ratio" refers to the ratio of the mass of malt to the mass of all ingredients excluding hops and brewing water. The beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of this invention may also be made without using malt as an ingredient, in which case the malt usage ratio is 0%.

[0015] In order to achieve both lightness and beer-like characteristics, the lower limit of the alcohol concentration (above or below) of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention is, for example, 1.0v / v%, 1.1v / v%, 1.2v / v%, 1.3v / v%, 1.4v / v%, 1.5v / v%, 1.6v / v%, 1.7v / v%, 1.8v / v%, 1.9v / v%, 2.0v / v%, 2.1v / v%, 2.2v / v%, 2.3v / v%, 2.4v / v%, 2.5v / v%, 2.6v / v%, 2.7v / v%, 2.8v / v%, 2.9v / v%, or 3.0v / v%. This is possible, and its upper limit (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 4.0v / v%, 3.9v / v%, 3.8v / v%, 3.7v / v%, 3.6v / v%, 3.5v / v%, 3.4v / v%, 3.3v / v%, 3.2v / v%, 3.1v / v%, 3.0v / v%, 2.9v / v%, 2.8v / v%, 2.7v / v%, 2.6v / v%, 2.5v / v%, 2.4v / v%, 2.3v / v%, 2.2v / v%, 2.1v / v%, 2.0v / v%, 1.9v / v%, 1.8v / v%, 1.7v / v%, 1.6v / v%, or 1.5v / v%. These lower and upper limits can be combined arbitrarily, and the alcohol concentration of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 1.0~4.0 v / v%, 1.0~3.5 v / v%, 1.0~3.0 v / v%, 1.0~2.5 v / v%, 1.0~2.0 v / v%, 1.5~4.0 v / v%, 1.5~3.5 v / v%, 1.5~3.0 v / It can be expressed as v%, 1.5~2.5v / v%, 1.5~2.0v / v%, 2.0~4.0v / v%, 2.0~3.5v / v%, 2.0~3.0v / v%, 2.0~2.5v / v%, 2.5~4.0v / v%, 2.5~3.5v / v%, 2.5~3.0v / v%, 3.0~4.0v / v%, 3.0~3.5v / v%, or 3.5~4.0v / v%.

[0016] The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) of beer-flavored alcoholic beverages is widely known to those skilled in the art and can be measured, for example, by the analytical method prescribed by the National Tax Agency.

[0017] In the beer-tasted non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the alcohol (ethanol) concentration can be less than 1.00 v / v%, and can be 0.99 v / v% or less, 0.98 v / v% or less, 0.97 v / v% or less, 0.96 v / v% or less, 0.95 v / v% or less, 0.94 v / v% or less, 0.93 v / v% or less, 0.92 v / v% or less, 0.91 v / v% or less, 0.90 v / v% or less, 0.89 v / v% or less, 0.88 v / v% or less, 0.87 v / v% or less, 0.86 v / v% or less, 0.85 v / v% or less, 0.84 v / v% or less, 0.83 v / v% or less, 0.82 v / v% or less, 0.81 v / v% or less, 0.80 v / v% or less, 0.79 v / v% or less, 0.78 v / v% or less, 0.77 v / v% or less, 0.76 v / v% or less, 0.75 v / v% or less, 0.74 v / v% or less, 0.73 v / v% or less, 0.72 v / v% or less, 0.71 v / v% or less, 0.70 v / v% or less, 0.69 v / v% or less, 0.68 v / v% or less, 0.67 v / v% or less, 0.66 v / v% or less, 0.65 v / v% or less, 0.64 v / v% or less, 0.63 v / v% or less, 0.62 v / v% or less, 0.61 v / v% or less, 0.60 v / v% or less, 0.59 v / v% or less, 0.58 v / v% or less, 0.57 v / v% or less, 0.56 v / v% or less, 0.55 v / v% or less, 0.54 v / v% or less, 0.53 v / v% or less, 0.52 v / v% or less, 0.51 v / v% or less, 0.50 v / v% or less, 0.49 v / v% or less, 0.48 v / v% or less, 0.47 v / v% or less, 0.46 v / v% or less, 0.45 v / v% or less, 0.44 v / v% or less, 0.43 v / v% or less, 0.42 v / v% or less, 0.41 v / v% or less, 0.40 v / v% or less, 0.39 v / v% or less, 0.38 v / v% or less, 0.37 v / v% or less, 0.36 v / v% or less, 0.35 v / v% or less, 0.34 v / v% or less, 0.33 v / v% or less, 0.32 v / v% or less, 0.31 v / v% or less, 0.30 v / v% or less, 0.29 v / v% or less, 0.28 v / v% or less, 0.27 v / v% or less, 0.26 v / v% or less, 0.25 v / v% or less, 0.24 v / v% or less, 0.23 v / v% or less, 0.22 v / v% or less, 0.21 v / v% or less, 0.20 v / v% or less, 0.19 v / v% or less, 0.18 v / v% or less, 0.17 v / v% or less, 0.16 v / v% or less, 0.15 v / v% or less, 0.14 v / v% or less, 0.13 v / v% or less, 0.12 v / v% or less, 0.11 v / v% or less, 0.10 v / v% or more, 0.10 v / v% or less, 0.09 v / v% or more, 0.09 v / v% or less, 0.08 v / v% or more, 0.08 v / v% or less, 0.07 v / v% or more, 0.07 v / v% or less, 0.06 v / v% or more, 0.06 v / v% or less, 0.05 v / v% or more, 0.05 v / v% or less, 0.04 v / v% or more, 0.04 v / v% or less, 0.03 v / v% or more, 0.03 v / v% or less, 0.02 v / v% or more, 0.02 v / v% or less, 0.01 v / v% or more, or 0.01 v / v% or less. Further, for a concentration of less than 0.01 v / v% (0.00 v / v%), the concentration may be 0.009 v / v% or less, 0.008 v / v% or less, 0.007 v / v% or less, 0.006 v / v% or less, 0.005 v / v% or more, 0.005 v / v% or less, 0.004 v / v% or more, 0.004 v / v% or less, 0.003 v / v% or more, 0.003 v / v% or less, 0.002 v / v% or more, 0.002 v / v% or less, 0.001 v / v% or more, or 0.001 v / v% or less. Any combination of these upper and lower limits can be used, "or more" can be read as "greater than", and "or less" can be read as "less than".

[0018] The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage can be measured by gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a FID detector. In this case, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is preferable to use a calibration curve prepared based on the measured values of several control samples having known concentrations. It is preferable that the control samples having known concentrations have concentrations in the same range as the concentration to be measured. In addition, it is preferable to use an internal standard substance, and 2-propanol may be mentioned as an example of the internal standard substance.

[0019] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention has the following chemical structure:

Chemical Formula

[0020] In the present invention, those that are present in the peptide fraction as glycation-modified residues at the side chains of lysine and / or arginine of the above chemical structure, that is, peptides that form a part of the structure as glycation-modified residues at the side chains of lysine and / or arginine of the above chemical structure, are referred to as bound CML, bound CEL and bound MG-H1 (in the present specification, bound CML, bound CEL and bound MG-H1 may be referred to as "bound Maillard reaction products (B-MRP)"), and bound CML, bound CEL and bound MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (determined by gel filtration for HPLC analysis) in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention.

[0021] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is characterized in that the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less. The lower limit (greater than or greater than) of the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is 55 ppb, but the lower limit is 56 ppb, 57 ppb, 58 ppb, 59 ppb, 60 ppb, 61 ppb, 62 ppb, 63 ppb, 64 ppb, 65 ppb, 66 ppb, 67 ppb, 68 ppb, 69 ppb, 70 ppb, 71 ppb, 72 ppb, 73 ppb, 74 ppb, 75 ppb, 76 ppb, 77 ppb, 78 ppb, 79 ppb, 80 ppb, 81 ppb, 82 ppb, 83 ppb, 84 ppb, 85 It can also be ppb, 86ppb, 87ppb, 88ppb, 89ppb, 90ppb, 91ppb, 92ppb, 93ppb, 94ppb, 95ppb, 96ppb, 97ppb, 98ppb, 99ppb, 100ppb, 105ppb, 110ppb, 115ppb, 120ppb, 125ppb, 130ppb, 135ppb, 140ppb, 145ppb, 150ppb, 155ppb, 160ppb, 165ppb, 170ppb, 175ppb, 180ppb, 185ppb, 190ppb, 195ppb, or 200ppb. The upper limit (less than or equal to) is 500 ppb, but the following are also acceptable: 495 ppb, 490 ppb, 485 ppb, 480 ppb, 475 ppb, 470 ppb, 465 ppb, 460 ppb, 455 ppb, 450 ppb, 445 ppb, 440 ppb, 435 ppb, 434 ppb, 433 ppb, 432 ppb, 431 ppb, 430 ppb, 425 ppb, 420 ppb, 415 ppb, 410 ppb, 405 ppb, 400 ppb, 395ppb, 390ppb, 385ppb, 380ppb, 375ppb, 370ppb, 365ppb, 360ppb, 355ppb, 350ppb, 345ppb, 340ppb, 335ppb, 330ppb, 325ppb, 320ppb, 315ppb, 310ppb, 305ppb, 300ppb, 295ppb, 290ppb, 285ppb, 280ppb, 275ppb, 270ppb, 265ppb, 260ppb,It can also be 255 ppb or 250 ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, and the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 55 ppb to 500 ppb, 60 ppb to 500 ppb, 70 ppb to 500 ppb, 80 ppb to 500 ppb, 90 ppb to 500 ppb, 100 ppb to 500 ppb, 110 ppb to 500 ppb, 120 ppb to 500 ppb, 130 ppb to 500 ppb, 140 ppb to 50 0ppb or less, 150ppb to 500ppb, 160ppb to 500ppb, 170ppb to 500ppb, 180ppb to 500ppb, 190ppb to 500ppb, 200ppb to 500ppb, 55ppb to 490p pb or less, 60ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 70ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 80ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 90ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 100ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 110ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 120ppb or more and 490ppb or less, 1 30ppb to 490ppb, 140ppb to 490ppb, 150ppb to 490ppb, 160ppb to 490ppb, 170ppb to 490ppb, 180ppb to 490ppb, 190ppb to 490ppb, 20 0ppb to 490ppb, 55ppb to 480ppb, 60ppb to 480ppb, 70ppb to 480ppb, 80ppb to 480ppb, 90ppb to 480ppb, 100ppb to 480ppb, 110ppb to 4 80ppb or less, 120ppb to 480ppb, 130ppb to 480ppb, 140ppb to 480ppb, 150ppb to 480ppb, 160ppb to 480ppb, 170ppb to 480ppb, 180ppb to 48 0ppb or less, 190ppb to 480ppb, 200ppb to 480ppb, 55ppb to 470ppb, 60ppb to 470ppb, 70ppb to 470ppb, 80ppb to 470ppb, 90ppb to 470ppb,100ppb to 470ppb, 110ppb to 470ppb, 120ppb to 470ppb, 130ppb to 470ppb, 140ppb to 470ppb, 150ppb to 470ppb, 160ppb to 470ppb, 170ppb to 470ppb, 180ppb to 470ppb, 190ppb to 470ppb, 200ppb to 470ppb, 55ppb to 460ppb, 60ppb to 460ppb, 70ppb to 460ppb, 80ppb to 460ppb b or less, 90ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 100ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 110ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 120ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 130ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 140ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 150ppb or more and 460ppb or less, 1 60ppb to 460ppb, 170ppb to 460ppb, 180ppb to 460ppb, 190ppb to 460ppb, 200ppb to 460ppb, 55ppb to 450ppb, 60ppb to 450ppb, 70ppb to 4 50 ppb or less, 80 ppb to 450 ppb, 90 ppb to 450 ppb, 100 ppb to 450 ppb, 110 ppb to 450 ppb, 120 ppb to 450 ppb, 130 ppb to 450 ppb, 140 ppb to 450 ppb, 150 ppb to 450 ppb, 160 ppb to 450 ppb, 170 ppb to 450 ppb, 180 ppb to 450 ppb, 190 ppb to 450 ppb, 200 ppb to 450 ppb, 55 ppb to 440 ppb, 60 pp b - 440ppb, 70ppb - 440ppb, 80ppb - 440ppb, 90ppb - 440ppb, 100ppb - 440ppb, 110ppb - 440ppb, 120ppb - 440ppb, 130ppb - 440p pb or less, 140ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 150ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 160ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 170ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 180ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 190ppb or more and 440ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 440ppb or less,55ppb to 434ppb, 60ppb to 434ppb, 70ppb to 434ppb, 80ppb to 434ppb, 90ppb to 434ppb, 100ppb to 434ppb, 110ppb to 434ppb, 120ppb to 434ppb, 130ppb to 434ppb, 140ppb to 434ppb, 150ppb to 434ppb, 160ppb to 434ppb, 170ppb to 434ppb, 180ppb to 434ppb, 190ppb to 434ppb 200ppb to 434ppb, 55ppb to 430ppb, 60ppb to 430ppb, 70ppb to 430ppb, 80ppb to 430ppb, 90ppb to 430ppb, 100ppb to 430ppb, 110ppb to 430ppb, 120ppb to 430ppb, 130ppb to 430ppb, 140ppb to 430ppb, 150ppb to 430ppb, 160ppb to 430ppb, 170ppb to 430ppb, 180ppb to 430ppb Above 190ppb and below 430ppb, above 200ppb and below 430ppb, above 55ppb and below 420ppb, above 60ppb and below 420ppb, above 70ppb and below 420ppb, above 80ppb and below 420ppb, above 90ppb and below 420ppb, above 100ppb 420 Below ppb, above 110ppb and below 420ppb, above 120ppb and below 420ppb, above 130ppb and below 420ppb, above 140ppb and below 420ppb, above 150ppb and below 420ppb, above 160ppb and below 420ppb, above 170ppb and below 420ppb, Above 180ppb and below 420ppb, above 190ppb and below 420ppb, above 200ppb and below 420ppb, above 55ppb and below 410ppb, above 60ppb and below 410ppb, above 70ppb and below 410ppb, above 80ppb and below 410ppb, above 90ppb 410 Below ppb, above 100ppb and below 410ppb, above 110ppb and below 410ppb, above 120ppb and below 410ppb, above 130ppb and below 410ppb, above 140ppb and below 410ppb, above 150ppb and below 410ppb, above 160ppb and below 410ppb,Above 170ppb and below 410ppb, above 180ppb and below 410ppb, above 190ppb and below 410ppb, above 200ppb and below 410ppb, above 55ppb and below 400ppb, above 60ppb and below 400ppb, above 70ppb and below 400ppb, above 80ppb 40 Below 0ppb, above 90ppb and below 400ppb, above 100ppb and below 400ppb, above 110ppb and below 400ppb, above 120ppb and below 400ppb, above 130ppb and below 400ppb, above 140ppb and below 400ppb, above 150ppb and below 400ppb, 160ppb to 400ppb, 170ppb to 400ppb, 180ppb to 400ppb, 190ppb to 400ppb, 200ppb to 400ppb, 55ppb to 390ppb, 60ppb to 390ppb, 70ppb to 390ppb, 80ppb to 390ppb, 90ppb to 390ppb, 100ppb to 390ppb, 110ppb to 390ppb, 120ppb to 390ppb, 130ppb to 390ppb, 140ppb to 390ppb 150ppb to 390ppb, 160ppb to 390ppb, 170ppb to 390ppb, 180ppb to 390ppb, 190ppb to 390ppb, 200ppb to 390ppb, 55ppb to 380ppb, 60ppb to 380ppb, 70ppb to 380ppb, 80ppb to 380ppb, 90ppb to 380ppb, 100ppb to 380ppb, 110ppb to 380ppb, 120ppb to 380ppb, 130ppb to 380ppb 140ppb to 380ppb, 150ppb to 380ppb, 160ppb to 380ppb, 170ppb to 380ppb, 180ppb to 380ppb, 190ppb to 380ppb, 200ppb to 380ppb, 55ppb to 370ppb, 60ppb to 370ppb, 70ppb to 370ppb, 80ppb to 370ppb, 90ppb to 370ppb, 100ppb to 370ppb, 110ppb to 370ppb, 120ppb to 370ppb130ppb to 370ppb, 140ppb to 370ppb, 150ppb to 370ppb, 160ppb to 370ppb, 170ppb to 370ppb, 180ppb to 370ppb, 190ppb to 370ppb, 200ppb to 370ppb, 55ppb to 360ppb, 60ppb to 360ppb, 70ppb to 360ppb 80ppb to 360ppb, 90ppb to 360ppb, 100ppb to 360ppb, 110ppb to 360ppb, 120ppb to 360ppb, 130ppb to 360ppb, 140ppb to 360ppb, 150ppb to 360ppb, 160ppb to 360ppb, 170ppb to 360ppb, 180ppb to 360ppb, 190ppb to 360ppb, 200ppb to 360ppb, 55ppb to 350ppb, 60ppb to 350ppb Below 1 ppb, 70 ppb to 350 ppb, 80 ppb to 350 ppb, 90 ppb to 350 ppb, 100 ppb to 350 ppb, 110 ppb to 350 ppb, 120 ppb to 350 ppb, 130 ppb to 350 ppb, 140 ppb to 350 ppb, 150 ppb to 350 ppb, 160 ppb to 350 ppb, 170 ppb to 350 ppb, 180 ppb to 350 ppb, 190 ppb to 350 ppb, 200 ppb to 350 ppb, above 55 ppb Below 340ppb, 60ppb to 340ppb, 70ppb to 340ppb, 80ppb to 340ppb, 90ppb to 340ppb, 100ppb to 340ppb, 110ppb to 340ppb, 120ppb to 340ppb, 130ppb to 340ppb, 140ppb to 340ppb, 150ppb to 340ppb, 160ppb to 340ppb, 170ppb to 340ppb, 180ppb to 340ppb, 190ppb to 340ppb, 200ppb ppb above 340ppb, 55ppb above 330ppb, 60ppb above 330ppb, 70ppb above 330ppb, 80ppb above 330ppb, 90ppb above 330ppb, 100ppb above 330ppb, 110ppb above 330ppb, 120ppb above 330ppb, 130ppb above 330ppb, 140ppb above 330ppb, 150ppb above 330ppb, 160ppb above 330ppb, 170ppb above 330ppb, 180ppb above 330ppb190ppb to 330ppb, 200ppb to 330ppb, 55ppb to 320ppb, 60ppb to 320ppb, 70ppb to 320ppb, 80ppb to 320ppb, 90ppb and above 320ppb or less, 100ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 110ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 120ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 130ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 140ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 150ppb or more and 320p PB or less, 160ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 170ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 180ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 190ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 55ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 60ppb to 310ppb, 70ppb to 310ppb, 80ppb to 310ppb, 90ppb to 310ppb, 100ppb to 310ppb, 110ppb to 310ppb, 120ppb and above 310ppb or less, 130ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 140ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 150ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 160ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 170ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 180ppb or more and 310 ppb or less, 190ppb to 310ppb, 200ppb to 310ppb, 55ppb to 300ppb, 60ppb to 300ppb, 70ppb to 300ppb, 80ppb to 300ppb, 90 The concentration can be between ppb and 300 ppb, 100 ppb and 300 ppb, 110 ppb and 300 ppb, 120 ppb and 300 ppb, 130 ppb and 300 ppb, 140 ppb and 300 ppb, 150 ppb and 300 ppb, 160 ppb and 300 ppb, 170 ppb and 300 ppb, 180 ppb and 300 ppb, 190 ppb and 300 ppb, or 200 ppb and 300 ppb. In this invention, "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L".

[0022] The total concentrations of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention are, for example, 55 ppb to 200 ppb, 55 ppb to 190 ppb, 55 ppb to 180 ppb, 55 ppb to 170 ppb, 55 ppb to 160 ppb, 55 ppb to 150 ppb, 55 ppb to 140 ppb, 55 ppb to 130 ppb, 55 ppb to 120 ppb, 55 ppb to 110 ppb, 55 ppb to 100 ppb, 60 ppb to 200 ppb, and 60 ppb. 190ppb or more, 60ppb or more and 180ppb or less, 60ppb or more and 170ppb, 60ppb or more and 160ppb, 60ppb or more and 150ppb, 60ppb or more and 140ppb or less, 60ppb or more and 130ppb or less, 60ppb or more and 120ppb or less, 6 0ppb to 110ppb, 60ppb to 100ppb, 65ppb to 200ppb, 65ppb to 190ppb, 65ppb to 180ppb, 65ppb to 170ppb, 65ppb to 160ppb, 65ppb to 150ppb Lower, 65ppb to 140ppb, 65ppb to 130ppb, 65ppb to 120ppb, 65ppb to 110ppb, 65ppb to 100ppb, 70ppb to 200ppb, 70ppb to 190ppb, 70ppb to 180 ppb or less, 70ppb to 170ppb, 70ppb to 160ppb, 70ppb to 150ppb, 70ppb to 140ppb, 70ppb to 130ppb, 70ppb to 120ppb, 70ppb to 110ppb, 70ppb and above 100ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 200ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 190ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 180ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 170ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 160ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 150ppb or less, 75ppb or more and 140ppb or less, 75p PB to 130ppb, 75ppb to 120ppb, 75ppb to 110ppb, 75ppb to 100ppb, 80ppb to 200ppb, 80ppb to 190ppb, 80ppb to 180ppb, 80ppb to 170ppb,80 ppb to 160 ppb, 80 ppb to 150 ppb, 80 ppb to 140 ppb, 80 ppb to 130 ppb, 80 ppb to 120 ppb, 80 ppb to 110 ppb, 80 ppb to 100 ppb, 85 ppb to 200 ppb, 85 ppb to 190 ppb, 85 ppb to 180 ppb, 85 ppb to 170 ppb, 85 ppb to 1 60 ppb or less, 85 ppb to 150 ppb, 85 ppb to 140 ppb, 85 ppb to 130 ppb, 85 ppb to 120 ppb, 85 ppb to 110 ppb, 85 ppb to 100 ppb, 90 ppb to 200 ppb, 90 ppb to 190 ppb, 90 ppb to 180 ppb, 90 ppb to 170 ppb, 90 ppb to 160 ppb, 9 0 ppb to 150 ppb, 90 ppb to 140 ppb, 90 ppb to 130 ppb, 90 ppb to 120 ppb, 90 ppb to 110 ppb, 95 ppb to 200 ppb, 95 ppb to 190 ppb, 95 ppb to 180 ppb, 95 ppb to 170 ppb, 95 ppb to 160 ppb, 95 ppb to 150 ppb, 95 ppb to 140 It can be less than or equal to ppb, 95 ppb to 130 ppb, 95 ppb to 120 ppb, 100 ppb to 190 ppb, 100 ppb to 180 ppb, 100 ppb to 170 ppb, 100 ppb to 160 ppb, 100 ppb to 150 ppb, 100 ppb to 140 ppb, 100 ppb to 130 ppb, or 100 ppb to 120 ppb.

[0023] In the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the lower limit (greater than or greater than) of the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 50 ppb, but the following limits apply: 55 ppb, 60 ppb, 65 ppb, 70 ppb, 75 ppb, 80 ppb, 85 ppb, 90 ppb, 95 ppb, 100 ppb, 105 ppb, 110 ppb, 115 ppb, 120 ppb, 125 ppb, 130 ppb, 135 ppb, 140 ppb, 145 ppb, 150 ppb, 155 ppb, 1 It can also be 60ppb, 165ppb, 170ppb, 175ppb, 180ppb, 185ppb, 190ppb, 195ppb, 200ppb, 205ppb, 210ppb, 215ppb, 220ppb, 225ppb, 230ppb, 235ppb, 240ppb, 245ppb, 250ppb, 255ppb, 260ppb, 265ppb, 270ppb, 275ppb, 280ppb, 285ppb, 290ppb, 295ppb, or 300ppb. The upper limit (less than or equal to) is 650 ppb, but the following are also acceptable: 645 ppb, 640 ppb, 635 ppb, 630 ppb, 625 ppb, 620 ppb, 615 ppb, 610 ppb, 605 ppb, 600 ppb, 595 ppb, 590 ppb, 585 ppb, 580 ppb, 575 ppb, 570 ppb, 565 ppb, 560 ppb, 555 ppb, 550 ppb, 545 ppb, 540 ppb, 535 ppb, 530 ppb, 525 ppb, 520 ppb, 515 ppb, 510 ppb, 505 ppb It can also be 500ppb, 495ppb, 490ppb, 485ppb, 480ppb, 475ppb, 470ppb, 465ppb, 460ppb, 455ppb, 450ppb, 445ppb, 440ppb, 435ppb, 430ppb, 425ppb, 420ppb, 415ppb, 410ppb, 405ppb, 400ppb, 395ppb, 390ppb, 385ppb, 380ppb, 375ppb, 370ppb, 365ppb, 360ppb, 355ppb, or 350ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, and the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 50 ppb to 650 ppb, 50 ppb to 600 ppb,50ppb to 550ppb, 50ppb to 500ppb, 50ppb to 450ppb, 50ppb to 400ppb, 50ppb to 350ppb, 75ppb to 650ppb, 75ppb to 600ppb, 75ppb to 550ppb, 75ppb to 500ppb, 75ppb to 450ppb, 75ppb to 400ppb, 75ppb to 350ppb, 100ppb to 650ppb, 100ppb to 600ppb, 100ppb to 550ppb, 100ppb to 550ppb ppb above 500ppb, 100ppb above 450ppb, 100ppb above 400ppb, 100ppb above 350ppb, 125ppb above 650ppb, 125ppb above 600ppb, 125ppb above 550ppb, 125ppb above 500ppb, 125ppb above 450ppb, 125ppb above 400ppb, 125ppb above 350ppb, 150ppb above 650ppb, 150ppb above 600ppb, 150ppb above 550ppb, 150ppb above 500ppb Below, 150ppb to 450ppb, 150ppb to 400ppb, 150ppb to 350ppb, 175ppb to 650ppb, 175ppb to 600ppb, 175ppb to 550ppb, 175ppb to 500ppb, 175ppb to 450ppb, 175ppb to 400ppb, 175ppb to 350ppb, 200ppb to 650ppb, 200ppb to 600ppb, 200ppb to 550ppb, 200ppb to 500ppb, 200ppb and below, 200ppb Above 450ppb, above 200ppb and below 400ppb, above 200ppb and below 350ppb, above 225ppb and below 650ppb, above 225ppb and below 600ppb, above 225ppb and below 550ppb, above 225ppb and below 500ppb, above 225ppb and below 450ppb, above 225ppb and below 400ppb, above 225ppb and below 350ppb, above 250ppb and below 650ppb, above 250ppb and below 600ppb, above 250ppb and below 550ppb, above 250ppb and below 500ppb, above 250ppb and below 450ppb.It can be set to 250 ppb to 400 ppb, 250 ppb to 350 ppb, 275 ppb to 650 ppb, 275 ppb to 600 ppb, 275 ppb to 550 ppb, 275 ppb to 500 ppb, 275 ppb to 450 ppb, 275 ppb to 400 ppb, 275 ppb to 350 ppb, 300 ppb to 650 ppb, 300 ppb to 600 ppb, 300 ppb to 550 ppb, 300 ppb to 500 ppb, 300 ppb to 450 ppb, 300 ppb to 400 ppb, or 300 ppb to 350 ppb.

[0024] The total concentrations of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention are, for example, 50 ppb to 340 ppb, 50 ppb to 330 ppb, 50 ppb to 320 ppb, 50 ppb to 310 ppb, 50 ppb to 300 ppb, 50 ppb to 290 ppb, 50 ppb to 280 ppb, 50 ppb to 270 ppb, 50 ppb to 260 ppb, 50 ppb to 250 ppb, 50 ppb to 240 ppb, 50 ppb to 230 ppb, and 50 ppb 220ppb or more, 50ppb or more and 210ppb or less, 50ppb or more and 200ppb, 60ppb or more and 340ppb, 60ppb or more and 330ppb, 60ppb or more and 320ppb or less, 60ppb or more and 310ppb or less, 60ppb or more and 300ppb or less, 6 0ppb to 290ppb, 60ppb to 280ppb, 60ppb to 270ppb, 60ppb to 260ppb, 60ppb to 250ppb, 60ppb to 240ppb, 60ppb to 230ppb, 60ppb to 220ppb Lower, 60ppb to 210ppb, 60ppb to 200ppb, 70ppb to 340ppb, 70ppb to 330ppb, 70ppb to 320ppb, 70ppb to 310ppb, 70ppb to 300ppb, 70ppb to 290 ppb or less, 70ppb to 280ppb, 70ppb to 270ppb, 70ppb to 260ppb, 70ppb to 250ppb, 70ppb to 240ppb, 70ppb to 230ppb, 70ppb to 220ppb, 70ppb or more 210ppb or less, 70ppb to 200ppb, 80ppb to 340ppb, 80ppb to 330ppb, 80ppb to 320ppb, 80ppb to 310ppb, 80ppb to 300ppb, 80ppb to 290ppb, 80p pb to 280ppb, 80ppb to 270ppb, 80ppb to 260ppb, 80ppb to 250ppb, 80ppb to 240ppb, 80ppb to 230ppb, 80ppb to 220ppb, 80ppb to 210ppb,80ppb to 200ppb, 90ppb to 340ppb, 90ppb to 330ppb, 90ppb to 320ppb, 90ppb to 310ppb, 90ppb to 300ppb, 90ppb to 290ppb, 90ppb to 280ppb, 90ppb to 270ppb, 90ppb to 260ppb, 90ppb to 250ppb, 90ppb to 240ppb, 90ppb to 230ppb, 90ppb to 220ppb, 90ppb to 210ppb, 90ppb and below Above 200 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 340 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 330 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 320 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 310 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 300 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 290 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 280 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 270 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 260 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 250 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 240 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 230 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 220 ppb, above 100 ppb but below 210 ppb 100ppb to 200ppb, 310ppb to 650ppb, 320ppb to 650ppb, 330ppb to 650ppb, 340ppb to 650ppb, 350ppb to 650ppb, 360ppb to 650ppb, 370ppb to 650ppb, 380ppb to 650ppb, 390ppb to 650ppb, 400ppb to 650ppb, 310ppb to 600ppb, 320ppb to 600ppb, 330ppb to 600ppb, 340ppb and above Below 600ppb, 350ppb to 600ppb, 360ppb to 600ppb, 370ppb to 600ppb, 380ppb to 600ppb, 390ppb to 600ppb, 400ppb to 600ppb, 310ppb to 550ppb, 320ppb to 550ppb, 330ppb to 550ppb, 340ppb to 550ppb, 350ppb to 550ppb, 360ppb to 550ppb, 370ppb to 550ppb, 380ppb to 550ppb390ppb to 550ppb, 400ppb to 550ppb, 310ppb to 500ppb, 320ppb to 500ppb, 330ppb to 500ppb, 340ppb to 500ppb, 350ppb to 500ppb Lower, 360ppb to 500ppb, 370ppb to 500ppb, 380ppb to 500ppb, 390ppb to 500ppb, 400ppb to 500ppb, 310ppb to 450ppb, 320ppb to 450ppb The following ranges can also be used: 330 ppb to 450 ppb, 340 ppb to 450 ppb, 350 ppb to 450 ppb, 360 ppb to 450 ppb, 370 ppb to 450 ppb, 380 ppb to 450 ppb, 390 ppb to 450 ppb, 400 ppb to 450 ppb, 310 ppb to 400 ppb, 320 ppb to 400 ppb, 330 ppb to 400 ppb, 340 ppb to 400 ppb, or 350 ppb to 400 ppb.

[0025] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention has a lower limit (or limit) for the total concentration of six components, including free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 (hereinafter, free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 may be collectively referred to as "free Maillard reaction product" or "F-MRP") and conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 (hereinafter, conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 may be collectively referred to as "conjugated Maillard reaction product" or "B-MRP"), which is 105 ppb, but also 110 ppb, 120 ppb, 130 ppb, It can also be 140ppb, 150ppb, 160ppb, 170ppb, 180ppb, 190ppb, 200ppb, 210ppb, 220ppb, 230ppb, 240ppb, 250ppb, 260ppb, 270ppb, 280ppb, 290ppb, 300ppb, 310ppb, 320ppb, 330ppb, 340ppb, 350ppb, 360ppb, 370ppb, 380ppb, 390ppb, 400ppb, 410ppb, 420ppb, 430ppb, 440ppb, 450ppb, 460ppb, 470ppb, 480ppb, 490ppb, or 500ppb. The upper limit (less than or equal to) is 1150 ppb, but the following are also acceptable: 1140 ppb, 1130 ppb, 1120 ppb, 1110 ppb, 1100 ppb, 1090 ppb, 1082 ppb, 1080 ppb, 1070 ppb, 1060 ppb, 1050 ppb, 1040 ppb, 1030 ppb, 1020 ppb, 1010 ppb, 1000 ppb, 990 ppb, 980 ppb, 970 ppb, 960 ppb, 950 ppb. The values ​​can also be pb, 940ppb, 930ppb, 920ppb, 910ppb, 900ppb, 890ppb, 880ppb, 870ppb, 860ppb, 850ppb, 840ppb, 830ppb, 820ppb, 810ppb, 800ppb, 790ppb, 780ppb, 770ppb, 760ppb, 750ppb, 740ppb, 730ppb, 720ppb, 710ppb, or 700ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, and the total concentration of the six components of F-MRP and B-MRP in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be, for example,105ppb to 1150ppb, 105ppb to 1100ppb, 105ppb to 1082ppb, 105ppb to 1050ppb, 105ppb to 1000ppb, 105ppb to 950ppb, 105ppb to 900ppb, 105ppb to 850ppb, 105ppb to 800ppb, 105ppb to 750ppb, 105ppb to 700ppb, 150ppb to 1150ppb, 150ppb to 1100ppb, 150ppb to 1082ppb, 150ppb to 1050ppb, 150ppb to 1000ppb pb, 150ppb to 950ppb, 150ppb to 900ppb, 150ppb to 850ppb, 150ppb to 800ppb, 150ppb to 750ppb, 150ppb to 700ppb, 200ppb to 1150ppb, 200ppb to 1100ppb, 200ppb to 1082ppb, 200ppb to 1050ppb, 200ppb to 1000ppb, 200ppb to 950ppb, 200ppb to 900ppb, 200ppb to 850ppb, 200ppb to 800ppb, 200ppb to 750ppb, 200ppb or more 700ppb, 250ppb or more 1150ppb, 250ppb or more 1100ppb, 250ppb or more 1082ppb, 250ppb or more 1050ppb, 250ppb or more 1000ppb, 250ppb or more 950ppb, 250ppb or more 900pp b, 250ppb or more 850ppb, 250ppb or more 800ppb, 250ppb or more 750ppb, 250ppb or more 700ppb, 300ppb or more 1150ppb, 300ppb or more 1100ppb, 300ppb or more 1082ppb, 300ppb or more 1050pp b, 300ppb or more 1000ppb, 300ppb or more 950ppb, 300ppb or more 900ppb, 300ppb or more 850ppb, 300ppb or more 800ppb, 300ppb or more 750ppb, 300ppb or more 700ppb, 350ppb or more 1150ppb, 350ppb or more 1100ppb, 350ppb or more 1082ppb, 350ppb or more 1050ppb, 350ppb or more 1000ppb, 350ppb or more 950ppb, 350ppb or more 900ppb, 350ppb or more 850ppb, 350ppb or more 800ppb,350ppb to 750ppb, 350ppb to 700ppb, 400ppb to 1150ppb, 400ppb to 1100ppb, 400ppb to 1082ppb, 400ppb to 1050ppb, 400ppb to 1000ppb, 400ppb to 950ppb, 400ppb to 900ppb, 400ppb to 850ppb, 400ppb to 800ppb, 400ppb to 750ppb, 400ppb to 700ppb, 450ppb to 1150ppb, 450ppb to 1100ppb, 450ppb to 1082ppb, 450ppb to 1050ppb, 450ppb to 100 The PP levels can be 0 ppb, 450 ppb to 950 ppb, 450 ppb to 900 ppb, 450 ppb to 850 ppb, 450 ppb to 800 ppb, 450 ppb to 750 ppb, 450 ppb to 700 ppb, 500 ppb to 1150 ppb, 500 ppb to 1100 ppb, 500 ppb to 1082 ppb, 500 ppb to 1050 ppb, 500 ppb to 1000 ppb, 500 ppb to 950 ppb, 500 ppb to 900 ppb, 500 ppb to 850 ppb, 500 ppb to 800 ppb, 500 ppb to 750 ppb, or 500 ppb to 700 ppb.

[0026] The total concentration of the six components of F-MRP and B-MRP in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is, for example, 105 ppb to 650 ppb, 105 ppb to 600 ppb, 105 ppb to 550 ppb, 105 ppb to 500 ppb, 105 ppb to 450 ppb, 105 ppb to 400 ppb, 105 ppb to 350 ppb, 105 ppb to 300 ppb, 150 ppb to 650 ppb, 150 ppb to 600 ppb, and 150 ppb to 550ppb, 150ppb to 500ppb, 150ppb to 450ppb, 150ppb to 400ppb, 150ppb to 350ppb, 150ppb to 300ppb, 200ppb to 65 0ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 600ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 550ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 500ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 450ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 400ppb or less, 200ppb or more and 350ppb or less, 200ppb to 300ppb, 550ppb to 1150ppb, 550ppb to 1100ppb, 550ppb to 1082ppb, 600ppb to 1150ppb, 600ppb to 1100ppb, 600ppb to 1082ppb, 650ppb to 1150ppb, 650ppb to 1100ppb, 650ppb to 1082ppb, 700ppb to 1150ppb, 700ppb to 1100ppb, 700ppb to 1082ppb, 5 It can also be set to 50 ppb to 1000 ppb, 600 ppb to 1000 ppb, 650 ppb to 1000 ppb, 700 ppb to 1000 ppb, 550 ppb to 950 ppb, 600 ppb to 950 ppb, 650 ppb to 950 ppb, 700 ppb to 950 ppb, 550 ppb to 900 ppb, 600 ppb to 900 ppb, 650 ppb to 900 ppb, or 700 ppb to 900 ppb.

[0027] In the present invention, the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration can be quantified by LC-MS / MS analysis (see Examples 1(1)E and O in the Examples below). Furthermore, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is desirable to use a calibration curve created based on measurement values ​​of several control samples with known concentrations.

[0028] In the present invention, the molecular weight of B-MRP is measured by gel filtration using high-performance liquid chromatography (sometimes referred to as "HPLC analysis gel filtration" in this specification). Specifically, the molecular weight can be calculated from the retention time using a calibration curve for HPLC analysis gel filtration (see Example 1(1)a and Figure 1 in the examples below).

[0029] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is characterized by achieving both lightness and a satisfying beer-like experience. Here, "lightness" refers to the degree to which it is not too heavy, yet thirsty and easy to drink. "Satisfying beer-like experience" refers to the degree to which it evokes the complex aromas and flavors derived from beer ingredients and fermentation (the perceived authenticity of beer).

[0030] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be manufactured according to the manufacturing procedure of a normal beer-flavored beverage, as long as it contains F-MRP and B-MRP within a predetermined concentration range. In the present invention, the concentrations of F-MRP and B-MRP can be adjusted by setting the raw materials or manufacturing conditions. Non-limiting examples of such raw materials and manufacturing conditions include brewing conditions, selection of yeast (including strains), adjustment of the amount of yeast used, adjustment of fermentation conditions, selection and adjustment of the amount of filtration aid used, etc. For example, these concentrations can be adjusted by appropriately setting the temperature and holding time when obtaining the saccharified liquid, and the temperature and time of boiling.

[0031] In the present invention, the preparation of the mash can be carried out according to conventional methods, for example, by sequentially performing the following steps: (a) saccharifying a mixture of raw materials including malt and water, filtering it to obtain wort; (b) adding hops to the obtained wort and then boiling it; and (c) cooling the boiled wort.

[0032] In this invention, in addition to malt, hops, and water, auxiliary ingredients specified by the Liquor Tax Law, such as rice, corn, sorghum, potatoes, starch, sugars (e.g., liquid sugar), fruits, and coriander, as well as other additives such as protein hydrolysates, nitrogen sources such as yeast extract, pigments, foaming and foam retention enhancers, water conditioners, and fermentation aids, can be used as brewing ingredients. Furthermore, unsprouted grains (e.g., unsprouted barley (including extracts), unsprouted wheat (including extracts)) may also be used as brewing ingredients.

[0033] In this invention, the decomposition process can also be carried out by adding proteolytic enzymes, carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, and cellulose-degrading enzymes at any point before the completion of the fermentation process (for example, during mashing, during fermentation, or both during mashing and fermentation), either individually or in combination. Examples of proteolytic enzymes include enzymes derived from brewing raw materials such as malt, and commercially available protease enzyme preparations. Examples of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes include enzymes derived from brewing raw materials such as malt, and commercially available enzyme preparations (α-amylase, β-amylase, glucoamylase, α-glucosidase, prunalase, isoamylase, etc.). Examples of cellulose-degrading enzymes include enzymes derived from brewing raw materials such as malt, and commercially available enzyme preparations (β-glucanase, xylanase, hemicellulase, etc.). The F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration can be adjusted by adding these enzymes.

[0034] In the present invention, during the saccharification process, malt with high endoprotease activity and / or an enzyme preparation possessing endoprotease activity can be used to promote protein degradation, while malt with low endoprotease activity can be used to suppress protein degradation. By carrying out such a process, the amounts of F-MRP and B-MRP contained in the beer-flavored beverage can be adjusted to a predetermined numerical range, thereby enabling the production of a beer-flavored beverage that achieves both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste.

[0035] In this invention, the saccharification temperature can be, for example, 30°C to 100°C, 35°C to 100°C, or 40°C to 100°C. The saccharification time can be set appropriately considering the saccharification temperature, but can be, for example, 30 minutes to 180 minutes, 50 minutes to 150 minutes, or 60 minutes to 140 minutes. In this invention, the boiling conditions can be set according to conventional methods.

[0036] In this invention, the boiling temperature can be, for example, 100°C to 150°C, 100°C to 140°C, or 100°C to 130°C. The boiling time can be set appropriately considering the boiling temperature, but can be, for example, 10 minutes to 180 minutes, 20 minutes to 150 minutes, or 30 minutes to 120 minutes.

[0037] In the present invention, the fermentation conditions are not particularly limited and can be carried out according to conventional methods.

[0038] In the present invention, by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to a beer-flavored beverage, the concentrations of F-MRP and B-MRP can be adjusted to a predetermined numerical range, thereby enabling the production of a beer-flavored beverage that achieves both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste. In other words, the present invention provides a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage. The addition of F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage can be carried out at any stage in the beverage's production process. In the present invention, F-MRP and B-MRP can be derived from raw materials and can be added separately from plant-based raw materials. As shown in the following example (Example 1), a fraction containing F-MRP and B-MRP can also be prepared from the beverage, purified, and added to the beer-flavored beverage.

[0039] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be produced, for example, by removing alcohol from a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage after its production, or by stopping fermentation at a stage where the ethanol concentration is less than 1 v / v% during the fermentation process in the production of a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage. In this method, the F-MRP concentration and / or B-MRP concentration can be adjusted at any stage of the production process, and can also be further adjusted by adding F-MRP and / or B-MRP.

[0040] Methods for removing alcohol from beer-flavored alcoholic beverages include, for example, (i) a method of removing alcohol and low-boiling point components by distillation under reduced pressure or atmospheric 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 adsorption onto vapor using centrifugal force.

[0041] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be produced by obtaining a wort ferment liquor from which alcohol has been removed (de-alcoholized wort ferment liquor) and wort separately, and then mixing them together.

[0042] The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be manufactured by removing solids from the mash by standing, followed by filtration. In this method, the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration can be adjusted during the mash preparation stage, and F-MRP and / or B-MRP may be blended or added at any stage of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention can also be manufactured by blending or mixing raw materials only, without mashing the raw materials. In this method, F-MRP and / or B-MRP can be blended or added at any stage of the manufacturing process to adjust their concentrations. The beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage manufactured in this manner is included in the category of non-fermented beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages.

[0043] In the production of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt and unsprouted grains, the following are used: rice, corn, soybeans, sorghum, potatoes, starch, sugars (e.g., liquid sugar), fruits (e.g., fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice), spices or their raw materials (e.g., coriander, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, sansho pepper, herbs), herbs (e.g., chamomile, sage, basil, lemongrass), vegetables (e.g., sweet potato, pumpkin), buckwheat or sesame, sugar-containing substances (e.g., honey, brown sugar), salt, miso, flowers, tea, coffee, cocoa (including preparations thereof), seafood (e.g., Other additives such as oysters, kelp, wakame seaweed, and bonito flakes, nitrogen sources such as protein hydrolysates and yeast extracts, hops or hop products (e.g., hop extract), flavorings (e.g., commercially available beer flavors containing ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, etc., which are typical aroma components of beer), coloring agents (e.g., caramel coloring), foaming and foam retention enhancers, sweeteners (e.g., high-intensity sweeteners), flavoring agents (e.g., amino acids), acidulants (e.g., gluconic acid), bittering agents (e.g., naringin), dietary fiber, antioxidants, and water conditioners can be used as raw materials.

[0044] In producing the beer-flavored fermented non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, for example, in addition to malt and hops, any or more of the above ingredients can be used. In producing the beer-flavored fermented non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, any or more of the above ingredients can also be incorporated during the production process of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage, or any or more of the above ingredients can be incorporated before or after alcohol removal after the production of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage.

[0045] In producing the beer-flavored non-fermented non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, for example, in addition to malt and hops, any or more of the above ingredients can be used as raw materials for wort production. In producing the beer-flavored non-fermented non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention, any or more of the above ingredients can also be incorporated during the wort production process, or after the wort production.

[0046] The carbohydrate concentration of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but its lower limit (greater than or equal to) can be, for example, 0.5g / 100mL, 0.6g / 100mL, 0.7g / 100mL, 0.8g / 100mL, 0.9g / 100mL, 1.0g / 100mL, 1.1g / 100mL, 1.2g / 100mL, 1.3g / 100mL, 1.4g / 100mL, 1.5g / 100mL, 1.6g / 100mL, 1.7g / 100mL, 1.8g / 100mL, 1.9g / 100mL, or 2.0g / 100mL, and its upper limit (less than or equal to) can be 5.0g / 1 The values ​​can be 00mL, 4.9g / 100mL, 4.8g / 100mL, 4.7g / 100mL, 4.6g / 100mL, 4.5g / 100mL, 4.4g / 100mL, 4.3g / 100mL, 4.2g / 100mL, 4.1g / 100mL, 4.0g / 100mL, 3.9g / 100mL, 3.8g / 100mL, 3.7g / 100mL, 3.6g / 100mL, 3.5g / 100mL, 3.4g / 100mL, 3.3g / 100mL, 3.2g / 100mL, 3.1g / 100mL, or 3.0g / 100mL, and these upper and lower limits can be combined in any way.

[0047] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may have a reduced carbohydrate concentration, in which case the upper limit of the carbohydrate concentration (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 2.0g / 100mL, 1.9g / 100mL, 1.8g / 100mL, 1.7g / 100mL, 1.6g / 100mL, 1.5g / 100mL, 1.4g / 100mL, 1.3g / 100mL, 1.2g / 100mL, 1.1g / 100mL, 1.0g / 100mL, 0.9g / 100mL, 0.8g / 100mL, 0.7g / 100mL, 0.6g / 100mL, 0.5g / 100mL, 0.4g / 100mL, 0.3g / 100mL, or 0.2g / 100mL. Beverages with a carbohydrate concentration of less than 0.5g / 100mL are classified as "sugar-free beer-flavored beverages."

[0048] The carbohydrate concentration can be measured by known methods, specifically by calculating it by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample to be measured (see the Nutritional Labeling Standards (Partially amended by Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 9, December 16, 2009)).

[0049] In the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of achieving a light taste without compromising the satisfying feeling of beer, the total nitrogen concentration is preferably 500 ppm or less. The lower limit (greater than or greater than) of the total nitrogen concentration of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is, for example, 40 ppm, 45 ppm, 50 ppm, 55 ppm, 60 ppm, 65 ppm, 70 ppm, 75 ppm, 80 ppm, 85 ppm, 90 ppm, 95 ppm, 100 ppm, 110 ppm, 120 ppm, 130 ppm, 140 ppm, 150 ppm, 160 ppm, 170 ppm, 180 ppm, 190 ppm, 200 ppm, 210 ppm, 220 ppm, 230 ppm, 240 ppm, 250 ppm. The values ​​can be 260 ppm, 270 ppm, 280 ppm, 290 ppm, or 300 ppm, and the upper limit (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 500 ppm, 490 ppm, 480 ppm, 470 ppm, 460 ppm, 450 ppm, 440 ppm, 430 ppm, 420 ppm, 410 ppm, 400 ppm, 390 ppm, 380 ppm, 370 ppm, 360 ppm, 350 ppm, 340 ppm, 330 ppm, 320 ppm, 310 ppm, or 300 ppm. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 40 ppm to 500 ppm, 50 ppm to 500 ppm, 60 ppm to 500 ppm, 70 ppm to 500 ppm, 80 ppm to 500 ppm, 90 ppm to 500 ppm, 100 ppm to 500 ppm, 110 ppm to 500 ppm, 120 ppm to 500 ppm, 130 ppm to 500 ppm, 140 ppm to 500 ppm, 150 ppm to 500 ppm, 200 ppm to 500 ppm, 250 ppm to 500 ppm, 300 ppm to 500 ppm, 40 ppm to 450 ppm, 50 ppm to 450 ppm, 60 ppm to 450 ppm, 70 ppm to 450 ppm, 80 ppm to 450 ppm, 90 ppm to 450 ppm, 100 ppm to 450 ppm, 110 ppm to 450 ppm, 120 ppm to 450 ppm, 130 ppm to 450 ppm, 140 ppm to 450 ppm,150 ppm to 450 ppm, 200 ppm to 450 ppm, 250 ppm to 450 ppm, 300 ppm to 450 ppm, 40 ppm to 400 ppm, 50 ppm to 400 ppm, 60 ppm to 400 ppm, 70 ppm to 400 ppm, 80 ppm to 400 ppm, 90 ppm to 400 ppm, 100 ppm to 400 ppm, 110 ppm to 400 ppm pm or less, 120ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 130ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 140ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 150ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 200ppm or more and 400ppm or less, and 250ppm or less 400ppm or less, 300ppm or more and 400ppm or less, 40ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 50ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 60ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 70ppm or more and 350ppm or less, and 80ppm or more Upper 350ppm or less, 90ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 100ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 110ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 120ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 130ppm or more and 350ppm or less, 140 ppm to 350ppm, 150ppm to 350ppm, 200ppm to 350ppm, 250ppm to 350ppm, 40ppm to 300ppm, 50ppm to 300ppm, The total nitrogen concentration can be set to 60 ppm to 300 ppm, 70 ppm to 300 ppm, 80 ppm to 300 ppm, 90 ppm to 300 ppm, 100 ppm to 300 ppm, 110 ppm to 300 ppm, 120 ppm to 300 ppm, 130 ppm to 300 ppm, 140 ppm to 300 ppm, 150 ppm to 300 ppm, or 200 ppm to 300 ppm. In this invention, "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L". The total nitrogen concentration of the beer-flavored beverage of this invention can be adjusted by the amount of raw materials used, fermentation, and filtration conditions. The total nitrogen concentration of the beer-flavored beverage can be measured by the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Japan Beer Brewers Association, 8.9.2) or the analysis method prescribed by the National Tax Agency.

[0050] In the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of achieving a light taste without impairing the satisfying feeling of beer, the original wort extract (°P) is preferably 15.0 or less, more preferably 12.0 or less, and even more preferably 9.0 or less. The lower limit (greater than or equal to) of the original wort extract (°P) of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, or 7.0, and the upper limit (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 15.0, 14.5, 14.0, 13.5, 13.0, 12.5, 12.0, 11.5, 11.0, 10.5, 10.0, 9.5, 9.0, 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, or 7.0. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 1 to 15, 1.5 to 15, 2 to 15, 3 to 15, 4 to 15, 5 to 15, 6 to 15, 7 to 15, 1 to 12, 1.5 to 12, 2 to 12, 3 to 12, 4 to 12, 5 to 12, 6 to 12, 7 to 12, 1 to 9, 1.5 to 9, 2 to 9, 3 to 9, 4 to 9, 5 to 9, 6 to 9, 7 to 9, 1 to 8, 1.5 to 8, 2 to 8, 3 to 8, 4 to 8, 5 to 8, 1 to 7, 1.5 to 7, 2 to 7, 3 to 7, or 4 to 7. The wort extract of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by the amount of raw materials used and the fermentation and filtration conditions. The wort extract of beer-flavored beverages can be measured according to the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Japan Beer Brewers Association, 8.5).

[0051] In the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of achieving a light taste without compromising the satisfying feeling of beer, the product of the total nitrogen concentration and the raw wort extract can be 4500 or less, preferably 4000 or less, more preferably 3500 or less, and even more preferably 3000 or less. The product of the total nitrogen concentration and the original wort extract of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can have a lower limit (greater than or equal to) of, for example, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000, and an upper limit (less than or equal to) of, for example, 4500, 4400, 4300, 4200, 4100, 4000, 3950, 3900, 3850, 3800, 3750, or 3700. ,3650,3600,3550,3500,3450,3400,3350,3300,3250,3200,3150,3100,3050,3000,2950,2900,2850,2800,2750,2700,2650,2600,2550,2500,2450,2400,2350,2300, It can be 2250, 2200, 2150, 2100, 2050, 2000, 1950, 1900, 1850, 1800, 1750, 1700, 1650, 1600, 1550, 1500, 1450, 1400, 1350, 1300, 1250, 1200, 1150, 1100, 1050, or 1000. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 100 to 4500, 200 to 4500, 300 to 4500, 400 to 4500, 500 to 4500, 600 to 4500, 700 to 4500, 800 to 4500, 900 to 4500, 1000 to 4500, 1100 to 4500, 1200 to 4500, 100 to 4000, 200 to 4000, 300 to 4000, 400 to 4000, 500 to 4000, 600 to 4000, 700 to 4000, 800 to 4000, 900 to 4000, 1000 to 4000,1100 to 4000, 1200 to 4000, 100 to 3500, 200 to 3500, 300 to 3500, 400 to 3500, 500 to 3500, 600 to 3500, 700 to 3500, 800 to 3500, 900 to 3500, 1000 to 3500, 100 to 3250, 200 to 3250, 300 to 3250, 400 to 3250, 500 to 3250, 600 to 3250, 700 to 3250, 800 to 3250, 900 and above Below 3250, 1000 and below 3250, 100 and below 3000, 200 and below 3000, 300 and below 3000, 400 and below 3000, 500 and below 3000, 600 and below 3000, 700 and below 3000, 800 and below 3000, 900 and below 3000, 1000 and below 3000, 100 and below 2750, 200 and below 2750, 300 and below 2750, 400 and below 2750, 500 and below 2750, 600 and below 2750, 700 and below 2750, 800 and below 2750, 900 and below 2750 1000 to 2750, 100 to 2500, 200 to 2500, 300 to 2500, 400 to 2500, 500 to 2500, 600 to 2500, 700 to 2500, 800 to 2500, 900 to 2500, 1000 to 2500, 100 to 2250, 200 to 2250, 300 to 2250, 400 to 2250, 500 to 2250, 600 to 2250, 700 to 2250, 800 to 2250, 900 to 2250, 1000 and above Below 2250, 100 to 2000, 200 to 2000, 300 to 2000, 400 to 2000, 500 to 2000, 600 to 2000, 700 to 2000, 800 to 2000, 900 to 2000, 1000 to 2000, 100 to 1750, 200 to 1750, 300 to 1750, 400 to 1750, 500 to 1750, 600 to 1750, 700 to 1750, 800 to 1750, 900 to 1750, 1000 to 1750100 to 1500, 200 to 1500, 300 to 1500, 400 to 1500, 500 to 1500, 600 to 1500, 700 to 1500 Lower, 800 to 1500, 900 to 1500, 1000 to 1500, 100 to 1400, 200 to 1400, 300 to 1400, 400 to 140 0 or less, 500 to 1400, 600 to 1400, 700 to 1400, 800 to 1400, 900 to 1400, 1000 to 1400, 100 to 1 300 or less, 200 to 1300, 300 to 1300, 400 to 1300, 500 to 1300, 600 to 1300, 700 to 1300, 800 and above 1300 or less, 900 to 1300, 1000 to 1300, 100 to 1200, 200 to 1200, 300 to 1200, 400 to 1200, 50 0 to 1200, 600 to 1200, 700 to 1200, 800 to 1200, 900 to 1200, 100 to 1100, 200 to 1100, 3 It can be set to 00 to 1100, 400 to 1100, 500 to 1100, 600 to 1100, 700 to 1100, 800 to 1100, 100 to 1000, 200 to 1000, 300 to 1000, 400 to 1000, 500 to 1000, 600 to 1000, or 700 to 1000.

[0052] The product of the total nitrogen concentration of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention and the original wort extract is also 100 to 900, 150 to 900, 200 to 900, 250 to 900, 300 to 900, 350 to 900, 400 to 900, 450 to 900, 500 to 900, 100 to 850, 150 to 850, 200 to 850, 250 to 850, 300 to 850, 350 to 850, 400 to 850, 450 to 850, 500 to 850, 100 to 800, 150 to 800. Lower, 200 to 800, 250 to 800, 300 to 800, 350 to 800, 400 to 800, 450 to 800, 500 to 800, 100 to 750, 150 to 750, 200 to 750, 250 to 750, 30 0 to 750, 350 to 750, 400 to 750, 450 to 750, 500 to 750, 100 to 700, 150 to 700, 200 to 700, 250 to 700, 300 to 700, 350 to 700, 400 to 7 00 or less, 450 to 700, 500 to 700, 100 to 650, 150 to 650, 200 to 650, 250 to 650, 300 to 650, 350 to 650, 400 to 650, 450 to 650, 100 to 600 , 150 to 600, 200 to 600, 250 to 600, 300 to 600, 350 to 600, 400 to 600, 100 to 500, 110 to 500, 120 to 500, 130 to 500, 140 to 500, 150 500 or more, 160 or more and 500 or less, 170 or more and 500, 180 or more and 500, 190 or more and 500, 200 or more and 500, 100 or more and 450, 110 or more and 450 or more, 120 and 450 or less, 130 and 450 or more, 140 and 450 or less, 150 and 45 0 or less, 160 to 450, 170 to 450, 180 to 450, 190 to 450, 200 to 450, 100 to 400, 110 to 400, 120 to 400, 130 to 400, 140 to 400, 150 to 400,It can also be 160 to 400, 170 to 400, 180 to 400, 190 to 400, 200 to 400, 100 to 350, 110 to 350, 120 to 350, 130 to 350, 140 to 350, 150 to 350, 160 to 350, 170 to 350, 180 to 350, 190 to 350, or 200 to 350.

[0053] In the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of achieving both lightness and beer-likeness, the bitterness value (BU) can preferably be in the range of 5 to 35, more preferably 10 to 30, and even more preferably 10 to 20. The lower limit of the bitterness value (BU) of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, and the upper limit (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, or 20. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 5 to 35, 10 to 35, 15 to 35, 5 to 30, 10 to 30, 15 to 30, 5 to 25, 10 to 25, 15 to 25, 5 to 20, 10 to 20, or 15 to 20. The bitterness value of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted by the hop variety, the amount added, and the timing of addition. The bitterness value of the beer-flavored beverage can be measured by the method described in the analytical method prescribed by the National Tax Agency.

[0054] The extract content of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not limited, but its lower limit (greater than or equal to) is, for example, 0.1 degrees, 0.2 degrees, 0.3 degrees, 0.4 degrees, 0.5 degrees, 0.6 degrees, 0.7 degrees, 0.8 degrees, 0.9 degrees, 1.0 degrees, 1.1 degrees, 1.2 degrees, 1.3 degrees, 1.4 degrees, 1.5 degrees, 1.6 degrees, 1.7 degrees, 1.8 degrees, 1.9 degrees, or It can be 2.0 degrees, and its upper limit (less than or equal to) can be, for example, 4.0 degrees, 3.9 degrees, 3.8 degrees, 3.7 degrees, 3.6 degrees, 3.5 degrees, 3.4 degrees, 3.3 degrees, 3.2 degrees, 3.1 degrees, 3.0 degrees, 2.9 degrees, 2.8 degrees, 2.7 degrees, 2.6 degrees, 2.5 degrees, 2.4 degrees, 2.3 degrees, 2.2 degrees, 2.1 degrees, or 2.0 degrees. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 0.1 degrees or more and 4.0 degrees or less, 0.5 degrees or more and 4.0 degrees or less, 1.0 degrees or more and 4.0 degrees or less, 1.5 degrees or more and 4.0 degrees or less, 2.0 degrees or more and 4.0 degrees or less, 0.1 degrees or more and 3.5 degrees or less, 0.5 degrees or more and 3.5 degrees or less, 1.0 degrees or more and 3.5 degrees or less, 1.5 degrees or more and 3.5 degrees or less, 2.0 degrees or more and 3.5 degrees or less, 0.1 degrees or more and 3.0 degrees or less, 0 The extract content of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted, for example, by the amount of raw materials used, fermentation, and filtration conditions. In the present invention, "extract content" can be measured using commercially available equipment (for example, an alcoholizer (Anton Paar)) by the method specified by the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method.

[0055] The pH (measured at 25°C) of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not limited, but its lower limit (greater than or equal to) can be 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, or 3.0, and its upper limit (less than or equal to) can be 5.0, 4.9, 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, 4.4, or 4.3. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any way, for example, 2.0 to 5.0, 2.0 to 4.5, 2.5 to 5.0, 2.5 to 4.5, 3.0 to 5.0, or 3.0 to 4.5. The pH of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjusting agent. The pH of the beer-flavored beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH meter (e.g., a benchtop pH meter, manufactured by Horiba, Ltd.).

[0056] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be served as a carbonated beverage. The carbon dioxide pressure (gas pressure at 20°C) of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is not limited, but its lower limit (greater than or equal to) can be 0.05 MPa, 0.06 MPa, 0.07 MPa, 0.08 MPa, 0.09 MPa, or 0.1 MPa, and its upper limit (less than or equal to) can be 0.4 MPa, 0.39 MPa, 0.38 MPa, 0.37 MPa, 0.36 MPa, or 0.35 MPa. These upper and lower limits can be combined in any way, for example, 0.05 MPa or more and 0.4 MPa or less, 0.07 MPa or more and 0.38 MPa or less, or 0.1 MPa or more and 0.35 MPa or less.

[0057] The beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be provided as a packaged beverage. The container used for the beverage according to the present invention may be any container that is normally used for filling beverages, such as metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles, cups), paper containers, bottles, pouches, etc., but preferably metal cans / barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., PET bottles), or bottles.

[0058] In addition to carbon dioxide, nitrogen may also be added to the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention. The nitrogen concentration can be adjusted as appropriate according to preference. The form of nitrogen used when adding nitrogen to the beverage may be any form known to those skilled in the art, such as nitrogen gas or liquid nitrogen, but liquid nitrogen is preferred. The total gas pressure including nitrogen in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can be adjusted within the range of 0.05 to 0.4 MPa (gas pressure at 20°C) (without separately sealed nitrogen). There are many purposes for adding nitrogen, but for example, it can make the foam of the beer-flavored beverage creamier.

[0059] Furthermore, the container used for the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention may include a hollow insert, such as a so-called "widget," which is separate from the container and used to efficiently supply nitrogen or the like to the beverage inside the container. The shape of the widget can vary, such as a sphere or a cube, and any shape is acceptable. The widget may or may not be fixed to the container. Before the container is opened, the widget contains a gas containing pressurized nitrogen gas that is in equilibrium with the total pressure of the container, which is higher than the atmospheric pressure. When the container is opened to make the beverage drinkable, the empty space where there is no beverage is released, resulting in a pressure difference, and the nitrogen sealed inside the widget is ejected into the container. It is desirable that the container and the widget be arranged such that when the container is opened, the nitrogen inside the widget is ejected directly into the liquid.

[0060] Furthermore, the method of incorporating nitrogen into the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention can include methods such as using small objects to eject nitrogen, or, in addition to nitrogen being originally present in the beverage, adding liquid nitrogen or the like to the container to fill the empty space with nitrogen and saturate the beverage with nitrogen. This addition of liquid nitrogen can be done simultaneously when sealing the beer-flavored beverage in the container. According to these methods, the so-called cascade foam phenomenon occurs in the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, making it possible to generate more distinctive foam.

[0061] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage with improved flavor is provided, comprising the steps of: including free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 in a total concentration of 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less; and including conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 in a total concentration of 50 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less, wherein the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC analysis gel filtration method), and the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less. In the present invention, "improved flavor" or "improved flavor" of a beer-flavored beverage means achieving both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste. The above-described method for producing a beer-flavored beverage is preferably one that achieves both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste. The above-described method for producing a beer-flavored beverage can be carried out in accordance with the description of the beer-flavored beverage of the present invention.

[0062] In another aspect of the present invention, a flavor enhancer for beer-flavored beverages is provided, comprising free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1, as well as conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 as active ingredients. The flavor enhancer of the present invention can be implemented in accordance with the description of the beer-flavored beverage and the method for producing the same of the present invention.

[0063] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising the steps of: including in the production of the beverage such that the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less; and including in the beverage such that the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 50 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less, wherein the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in a peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (HPLC analysis by gel filtration), and the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less. The flavor improvement method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the description of the beer-flavored beverage and the method for producing the same of the present invention. [Examples]

[0064] The present invention will be described more specifically based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0065] Measurement of alcohol concentration In Examples 1-6, 8, and 9 (excluding the de-alcoholized beverages in Example 8 (Test Section 52) and Example 9 (Test Sections 68-72)), the alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was measured using the analytical method prescribed by the National Tax Agency. For the de-alcoholized beverages in Examples 7, 8 (Test Section 52) and Example 9 (Test Sections 68-72), the alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was measured using gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector (Agilent Technologies). Calibration curves were created based on the concentrations of target samples in the range of 0.000 to 0.05 v / v%.

[0066] Measurement of carbohydrate concentration The carbohydrate concentration, based on nutritional labeling standards, was measured by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample beverage, in accordance with the method described in the publicly known Fifth Revised Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan Analysis Manual.

[0067] Measurement of total nitrogen concentration The total nitrogen concentration was measured according to the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Japan Beer Brewers Association, 8.9.2).

[0068] Measurement of raw wort extract The wort extract was measured according to the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Japan Beer Brewers Association, 8.5).

[0069] Measurement of bitterness value (BU) The bitterness value (BU) was measured using the analytical method prescribed by the National Tax Agency.

[0070] Measurement of extract content The extract content was measured according to the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Japan Beer Brewers Association, 8.4.3).

[0071] Example 1: Production of beer-flavored beverages and purification of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) In Example 1, a beer-flavored beverage was manufactured, and the Maillard reaction product (MRP) was purified from the beverage.

[0072] (1) Method A. Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages Crushed barley malt and cellulose enzyme were added to a mashing tank containing warm water maintained at 45-70°C, and the temperature was gradually increased to prepare a saccharified liquid. The malt residue was then removed by filtration to obtain wort. Liquid sugar and hops were added to the wort, which was boiled, then subjected to solid-liquid separation, and cooled to obtain a clear wort. Yeast was added, and the fermentation temperature and time were adjusted. The resulting fermented liquid was then filtered to produce a beer-flavored beverage (malt content 60%, alcohol concentration 4v / v%). In Examples 2-5, 8, and 9, when producing beer-flavored beverages using a similar method, the proportion of raw malt, the set temperature, and the holding time were appropriately adjusted when obtaining the saccharified liquid.

[0073] I. Gel filtration fractionation A beer-flavored beverage was weighed and freeze-dried to prepare a 5-fold concentrated solution by dissolving it in a 100 mM NaCl solution. The resulting concentrate was subjected to gel filtration fractionation under the conditions shown in Table 1, and fractions with molecular weights of 1060 Da to 3080 Da were separated.

[0074] Prior to fractionation, molecular weight analysis was performed using HPLC gel filtration to determine the gel filtration fractionation range (elution time). The specific procedure is as follows: Under the conditions shown in Table 1, 40 fractions were collected at 5 mL intervals starting from the elution position where UV absorption at 215 nm began. Each fraction was diluted with 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0, containing 150 mM NaCl), filtered through a 0.45 μm filter, and 100 μl was injected and analyzed under the conditions shown in Table 2. The molecular weight of each molecule was calculated from the retention time of the UV absorption peak in each analysis chart and the calibration curve. To determine the molecular weight under the analytical conditions shown in Table 2, 50 μL of peptides with known molecular weights shown in Table 3, dissolved in 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.0) and 150 mM NaCl at appropriate concentrations of 0.1 to 5 mg / mL, was injected, and HPLC gel filtration analysis was performed under the same conditions. A calibration curve was created using a regression equation based on power approximation from the retention time and molecular weight (Figure 1). In this way, the start and end positions (elution times) of the fractionation that result in molecular weights of 1060 Da to 3080 Da under the fractionation conditions shown in Table 1 were identified.

[0075] [Table 1]

[0076] [Table 2]

[0077] [Table 3]

[0078] Purification of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) The preparative fraction obtained from the beer-flavored beverage by the method described in (a) above was adsorbed onto a C18 solid-phase extraction column (Bond Elut C18, Agilent Technologies). After washing with pure water, the obtained pass-through fraction and washing solution were further adsorbed onto a Diaion HP20 (Mitsubishi Chemical) column and washed with pure water. The adsorbed material from the C18 solid-phase extraction column was eluted with a 50 v / v% ethanol aqueous solution. The eluate from the C18 solid-phase extraction column was concentrated to dryness and condensed with pure water to obtain B-MRP. This B-MRP was used to prepare the test samples in Examples 2 to 7.

[0079] Furthermore, the pass-through fraction from the Diaion HP20 column described above was freeze-dried and concentrated, and then dialyzed for approximately 10 hours using a dialysis membrane with a molecular weight of 100-500 until the electrical conductivity due to NaCl decreased. The extradialysis solution was then replaced, and dialyzed for another 20 hours. After removing NaCl, the extradialysis solution was freeze-dried, and then condensed with pure water to obtain F-MRP. This F-MRP was used to prepare the test samples in Examples 2-7.

[0080] E. Determination of free Maillard reaction products (F-MRP). The free Maillard reaction product (F-MRP) was quantified by LC-MS / MS. The specific procedure was as follows: An equal volume of 6N sulfosalicylic acid was added to F-MRP purified from a beer-flavored beverage or (appropriately diluted to reach the quantification range), and the mixture was stirred. The supernatant obtained by centrifugation at 13,000 rpm for 5 minutes was taken and mixed with 1 / 3 volume of 20 v / v% methanol. This mixture was loaded onto a solid-phase extraction column (Bond Elut C18, Agilent Technologies), followed by the loading of an equal volume of 10% methanol, and the resulting eluate was stirred. Subsequently, the mixture was mixed in a 1:1 ratio with separately prepared standard solutions (CEL: 0 ppb, 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb; CML: 0 ppb, 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb; MG-H1: 0 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb, 400 ppb) and subjected to LC-MS / MS under the conditions shown in Tables 4 and 5. The F-MRP concentration was calculated using the standard addition method based on the peak areas of the obtained two ions. The F-MRP concentration was quantified in the same manner in Examples 2 to 9. In these examples (Examples 1 to 9), the F-MRP concentration represents the sum of the concentrations of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 (total concentration).

[0081] [Table 4]

[0082] [Table 5]

[0083] E. Determination of Bound Maillard Reaction Products (B-MRP) The fraction separated by method (i) above or the B-MRP purified by method (iii) above was dialyzed through a 1 kDa dialysis membrane for 24 hours, and the resulting solution was freeze-dried. Then, it was dissolved in 0.02 M hydrochloric acid containing pepsin and reacted at 37°C for 24 hours. Next, Tris buffer (pH 8.2) containing pronase E was added and mixed, and the reaction was carried out at 37°C for 24 hours. Furthermore, aminopeptidase M and prolidase were added and mixed, and the reaction was carried out at 37°C for 24 hours to obtain a reaction solution with cleaved peptide bonds (enzyme-treated). On the other hand, a reaction solution (without enzyme treatment) was obtained by adding an enzyme-free buffer during these enzymatic reactions, and the reaction was carried out similarly three times at 37°C for 24 hours. Next, each reaction solution was freeze-dried and redissolved in ultrapure water. Equal volumes of 6N sulfosalicylic acid were added and stirred, and the supernatant obtained by centrifugation at 13000 rpm for 5 minutes was taken and mixed with 1 / 3 volume of 20 v / v% methanol. The mixture was loaded onto a solid-phase extraction column (Bond Elut C18), followed by the loading of an equal volume of 10% methanol, and the resulting eluate was stirred. Then, it was mixed 1:1 with separately prepared standard solutions (CEL: 0 ppb, 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb; CML: 0 ppb, 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb; MG-H1: 0 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb, 400 ppb) and subjected to LC-MS / MS under the same conditions as described above. The difference between the reaction solution (with enzyme treatment) and the reaction solution (without enzyme treatment) was then calculated as the B-MRP concentration in the beverage using the standard addition method. The B-MRP concentration was quantified in the same manner in Examples 2-9. In these examples (Examples 1-9), the F-MRP concentration represents the sum of the concentrations of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 (total concentration).

[0084] Example 2: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (1) In Example 2, evaluation tests were conducted on each test sample of beer-flavored beverage. A. Preparation of Test Samples A beer-flavored beverage was prepared for Test Group 1 (malt usage ratio 52%, alcohol concentration 2.5 v / v%, carbohydrate concentration less than 0.5 g / 100 mL, BU 14.0, extract content 0.5 degrees or less) in the same manner as in Example 1(1)A. Test Group 2 was prepared by adding B-MRP to Test Group 1 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 6. Test Groups 3 to 15 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to Test Group 1 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 6. In addition, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract for Test Groups 1 to 15 were as shown in Table 6.

[0085] I. Evaluation Test Evaluation tests were conducted on test samples from test sections 1 to 15 by five trained panelists. Specifically, two evaluation items, "lightness" and "beer-like satisfaction," were rated on a scale of 1 to 9 in 0.5 increments, and the average of the five panelists' evaluation scores was calculated. Here, "lightness" refers to the degree to which the beer is not too heavy, provides a thirst-quenching sensation, and is easy to drink; a higher score indicates a stronger sense of lightness. "Beer-like satisfaction" refers to the degree to which the complex aromas and flavors derived from beer ingredients and fermentation can be recalled (the sense of beer-likeness); a higher score indicates a greater sense of beer-like satisfaction. Furthermore, the evaluation of test section 1 was used as a baseline for evaluating test sections 2 to 15.

[0086] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 6. For beer-flavored beverages, a lightness score of 4.5 or higher was considered desirable, and a beer-like satisfaction score of 4.0 or higher achieved a beer-like satisfaction. Specifically, in all of the test groups 3 to 12, the "lightness" score was 4.5 or higher, and the "beer-like satisfaction" score was 4.0 or higher. In particular, in test groups 4 to 8 and 10, the "lightness" score was 5.0 or higher, and the "beer-like satisfaction" score was 4.5 or higher. On the other hand, in test groups 1 and 2, when the F-MRP concentration was 40 ppm, the lightness score was 6 in both cases, but the beer-like satisfaction scores were 3.0 and 3.1, respectively. Furthermore, in test groups 13 to 15, the lightness score was in the 3-point range in all cases, but the beer-like satisfaction score was 4.5 or higher. These results indicate that beer-flavored beverages with F-MRP and B-MRP concentrations at predetermined values ​​can achieve both lightness and beer-like satisfaction.

[0087] [Table 6]

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Table 7, the test samples in test sections 7 and 8 had different concentrations of each component of F-MRP (although the total concentration of each component was the same), but similar evaluation results were obtained. This result indicates that it is possible to achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste regardless of the individual components of F-MRP.

[0089] [Table 7]

[0090] Example 3: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (2) In Example 3, evaluation tests were conducted on various test samples of beer-flavored beverages with different carbohydrate concentrations than those used in Example 2.

[0091] (1) Method a. Preparation of test samples A beer-flavored beverage was prepared for test group 16 (malt usage ratio 52%, alcohol concentration 2.5 v / v%, carbohydrate concentration 0.9 g / 100 mL, BU 14.5, extract content 1.1 degrees) in the same manner as in Example 1(1)a. Test groups 17-21 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage of test group 16 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 8. In addition, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract for test groups 16-21 were as shown in Table 8.

[0092] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 16-21 was based on test section 1.

[0093] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 8. These results indicate that, regardless of the carbohydrate concentration of the beer-flavored beverage, it is possible to achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values.

[0094] [Table 8]

[0095] Example 4: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (3) In Example 4, evaluation tests were conducted on each test sample of a beer-flavored beverage with a different extract content than the test sample in Example 2.

[0096] (1) Method a. Preparation of test samples Test plot 22 (malt usage ratio 52%, alcohol concentration 2.5v / v%, carbohydrate concentration 2.7g / 100mL, BU 14.5, extract content 2.7%) was prepared by adding sugars mainly consisting of non-assimilable sugars to a beer-flavored beverage manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1(1)A. Test plots 23-27 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage of test plot 22 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 9. In addition, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract for test plots 22-27 were as shown in Table 9.

[0097] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 22-27 was based on test section 1.

[0098] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 9. These results indicate that, regardless of the extract content of the beer-flavored beverage, it is possible to achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values.

[0099] [Table 9]

[0100] Example 5: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (4) In Example 5, evaluation tests were conducted on various test samples of beer-flavored beverages that differed in alcohol concentration and carbohydrate concentration from the test samples in Example 2.

[0101] (1) Method a. Preparation of test samples Test plot 28 (malt usage ratio 52%, alcohol concentration 4.0 v / v%, carbohydrate concentration 2.7 g / 100 mL, BU 14.5, extract content 2.7 degrees) was prepared by adding raw material alcohol and sugars mainly consisting of non-assimilable sugars to a beer-flavored beverage manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1(1)A. Test plots 29 to 33 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage of test plot 28 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 10. In addition, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract for test plots 28 to 33 were as shown in Table 10.

[0102] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 28-33 was based on test section 1.

[0103] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 10. These results indicate that, regardless of the alcohol concentration and extract content of the beer-flavored beverage, it is possible to achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values.

[0104] [Table 10]

[0105] Example 6: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (5) In Example 6, evaluation tests were conducted on each test sample of a beer-flavored beverage with a different malt usage ratio than the test sample in Example 2.

[0106] (1) Method a. Preparation of test samples The malt usage ratio was adjusted by blending crushed barley malt with other grain ingredients (barley and corn). Barley malt, barley, carbohydrate-degrading enzymes, cellulose-degrading enzymes, and protein-degrading enzymes were added to a mashing tank containing warm water maintained at 45-70°C. Then, barley malt and corn were mixed in a separate mashing tank, heated in stages, and the mixture was further heated to prepare a saccharified liquid. After that, the mixture was filtered to remove the spent grain and obtain wort. Liquid sugar and hops were added to the obtained wort, and after boiling, solid-liquid separation was performed, and the mixture was cooled to obtain a clear wort. Yeast was added, and the fermentation temperature and time were adjusted. The resulting fermented liquid was filtered to produce a beer-flavored beverage of test plot 34 (malt usage ratio 24%, alcohol concentration 2.5v / v%, carbohydrate concentration 2.4g / 100mL, BU 14.2, extract content 2.4%). Test plots 35-41 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage from test plot 34 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 11. Furthermore, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract in test plots 34-41 were as shown in Table 11.

[0107] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 34-41 was based on test section 1.

[0108] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 11. These results indicate that, regardless of the malt ratio of the beer-flavored beverage, when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values, the "lightness" and "satisfying beer-like feel" are good.

[0109] [Table 11]

[0110] Example 7: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (6) In Example 7, evaluation tests were conducted on each test sample of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage (de-alcoholized beverage).

[0111] (1) Method a. Preparation of test samples Crushed barley malt, barley, rice, corn grits, and corn starch were added to a mashing tank containing warm water maintained at 45-70°C, and the temperature was gradually increased to obtain a saccharified liquid. The mash was then filtered to remove spent grain and obtain wort. Hops and liquid sugar were added to the obtained wort, and after boiling, solid-liquid separation was performed, followed by cooling to obtain a clear wort. Yeast was added, and the fermentation temperature and time were adjusted to obtain the resulting fermented liquid, which was then filtered. The obtained wort ferment was sprayed into a degassing tank to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to around 50°C. Subsequently, it was brought into contact with steam heated to around 50°C in a reduced-pressure column at around 60 mbar to adsorb volatile components onto the steam, remove alcohol and volatile components, and then dealcoholized by adding carbon dioxide to produce a beer-flavored beverage of test plot 42 (malt usage ratio 60%, alcohol concentration 0.0001 v / v%, BU 14.2, extract content 1.5%). Test plots 43-47 were prepared by adding F-MRP and B-MRP to the beer-flavored beverage of test plot 42 to achieve the concentrations shown in Table 12. Furthermore, the total nitrogen concentration and raw wort extract in test plots 42-47 were as shown in Table 12.

[0112] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 42-47 was based on test section 1.

[0113] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 12. These results indicate that beer-flavored beverages, which are non-alcoholic beverages, can achieve both lightness and a satisfying beer-like taste when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values.

[0114] [Table 12]

[0115] Example 8: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (7) In Example 8, test samples of beer-flavored beverages were manufactured and evaluation tests were conducted.

[0116] A. Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages (i) Test plots 48 and 49 Beer-flavored beverages were produced in the same manner as in Example 1(1)a for test plot 48 (malt usage ratio 99%, alcohol concentration 2.5 v / v%, BU 14.0, extract content 1.8%) and test plot 49 (malt usage ratio 99%, alcohol concentration 2.6 v / v%, BU 11.3, extract content 1.8%). The F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 13.

[0117] (ii) Test section 50 A zero-carbohydrate beer-flavored beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1(1)a for test plot 50 (malt usage ratio 60%, alcohol concentration 3.5v / v%, carbohydrate concentration less than 0.5g / 100mL, BU 14.5, extract content 0.6%). The F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 13.

[0118] (iii) Test Section 51 A beer-flavored beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 6(1)a for test plot 51 (malt usage ratio 24%, alcohol concentration 3.0 v / v%, BU 14.5, extract content 1.8%). The F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 13.

[0119] (iv) Test Section 52 A beer-flavored beverage (de-alcoholized beverage) was produced in the same manner as in Example 7(1)a for test plot 52 (malt usage ratio of 60%, alcohol concentration of 0.0001 v / v%, BU of 13.8, extract content of 1.9%). The F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and original wort extract were as shown in Table 13.

[0120] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 48-52 was based on test section 1.

[0121] (2) Results The results are shown in Table 13. In test groups 48-52, the "lightness" score was 5.1 or higher in all cases, and the "satisfaction of beer-likeness" score was 4.9 or higher, indicating favorable results. These results demonstrate that both lightness and satisfaction of beer-likeness can be achieved in the test-brewed beer-flavored beverages, sugar-free beer-flavored beverages, and de-alcoholic beverages when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are at predetermined values.

[0122] [Table 13]

[0123] Example 9: Manufacturing and evaluation of beer-flavored beverages (8) In Example 9, test samples of beer-flavored beverages were manufactured and evaluation tests were conducted.

[0124] A. Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages (i) Test Sections 53-57 Beer-flavored beverages were produced in the same manner as in Example 1(1)A, with the addition of sugars mainly consisting of non-assimilable sugars, to produce beer-flavored beverages in test sections 53-57 (malt usage ratio 99%, alcohol concentration 2.0 v / v%, extract content 1.4%). In test sections 53-57, the BU was adjusted to the values ​​shown in Table 14 by adding isomerized hop extract, and the F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 14.

[0125] (ii) Test plots 58-62 A zero-carbohydrate beer-flavored beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example 1(1)A for test plots 58-62 (malt usage ratio 60%, alcohol concentration 2.0v / v%, carbohydrate concentration less than 0.5g / 100mL, extract content 0.4%). In test plots 58-62, the BU was adjusted to the values ​​shown in Table 15 by adding isomerized hop extract, and the F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 15.

[0126] (iii) Test Sections 63-67 Beer-flavored beverages were produced in the same manner as in Example 6(1)a for test plots 63-67 (malt usage ratio 24%, alcohol concentration 2.5v / v%, extract content 1.6%). In test plots 63-67, the BU was adjusted to the values ​​shown in Table 16 by adding isomerized hop extract, and the F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 16.

[0127] (iv) Test plots 68-72 Beer-flavored beverages (de-alcoholized beverages) were produced in the same manner as in Example 7(1)a for test plots 68-72 (malt usage ratio 60%, alcohol concentration 0.0001v / v%, extract content 2.0%). In test plots 68-72, the BU was adjusted to the values ​​shown in Table 17 by adding isomerized hop extract, and the F-MRP concentration, B-MRP concentration, total nitrogen concentration, and raw wort extract were as shown in Table 17.

[0128] I. Evaluation Test The evaluation test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 2(1)i. The evaluation of test sections 53-72 was based on test section 1.

[0129] (2) Results The results are shown in Tables 14-17. When the BU was between 5.3 and 30.0, the "lightness" score was 4.0 or higher in all test groups, and the "satisfaction of beer-likeness" score was 4.2 or higher. Furthermore, when the BU was between 10 and 20, the "lightness" score was 5.0 or higher in all test groups, and the "satisfaction of beer-likeness" score was 4.7 or higher, indicating better results. These results indicate that in the test-brewed beer-flavored beverages, sugar-free beer-flavored beverages, and de-alcoholic beverages, when the F-MRP concentration and B-MRP concentration are within the specified values, and the BU is within the specified value, a better beer-flavored beverage is produced that balances both lightness and satisfaction of beer-likeness.

[0130] [Table 14]

[0131] [Table 15]

[0132] [Table 16]

[0133] [Table 17]

Claims

1. The total concentration of free carboxymethyllysine (CML), free carboxyethyllysine (CEL), and free methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolon-1 (MG-H1) is between 55 ppb and 500 ppb. The total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is between 50 ppb and 650 ppb. The conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in the peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (calculated by gel filtration for HPLC analysis), and A beer-flavored beverage with a total nitrogen concentration of 500 ppm or less.

2. The beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is 200 ppb or more and 432 ppb or less.

3. The beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the total concentration of conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 is 300 ppb or more and 650 ppb or less.

4. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the BU is 10 or more and 30 or less.

5. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carbohydrate concentration is 2.0 g / 100 mL or less.

6. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol concentration is 4 v / v% or less.

7. A beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a non-alcoholic beverage.

8. A method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of including the substances such that the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 is 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less, The process includes adding the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 so that their total concentration is between 50 ppb and 650 ppb. The conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in the peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (calculated by gel filtration for HPLC analysis). A method for producing the beverage, wherein the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less.

9. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of including the following in the production of the beverage: the total concentration of free CML, free CEL, and free MG-H1 being 55 ppb or more and 500 ppb or less; The process includes adding the conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 so that their total concentration is between 50 ppb and 650 ppb. The conjugated CML, conjugated CEL, and conjugated MG-H1 are contained in the peptide fraction with a molecular weight of 1060 Da to 3080 Da (calculated by gel filtration for HPLC analysis). A method wherein the total nitrogen concentration of the beverage is 500 ppm or less.

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