Method for suppressing foaming in beverages

Abstract

To provide a method for suppressing foaming of a beverage during filling of a container while minimizing the effect on flavor.SOLUTION: A method for suppressing foaming of a beverage is characterized in that the beverage contains hydroxy acid esters. In the method for suppressing foaming of a beverage, the beverage is a sparkling beverage. In either one of the methods for suppressing foaming of a beverage, the hydroxy acid esters are one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate, tripropyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, diethyl malate, and dibutyl malate.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for suppressing foaming during container filling in the production of a packaged beverage. [Background technology]

[0002] Beverages are usually distributed in the market filled in containers. In the manufacturing process of containerized beverages, overflow can occur during filling into the container, which is a problem. One cause of overflow is foam that is generated when the filled beverage hits the inner wall of the container, and it is particularly desirable to prevent overflow during filling of highly foamy beverages.

[0003] To prevent overflow, a common method is to suppress the foaming of beverages by adding emulsifiers or silicone-based antifoaming agents. However, silicone-based antifoaming agents such as dimethylpolysiloxane and lipophilic emulsifiers have low water solubility, and their use in beverages is limited. In contrast, hydrophilic emulsifiers, although highly water soluble, often affect the taste when added in large amounts, and some may even produce an unpleasant odor depending on the manner of use.

[0004] Even in sparkling beverages such as beer, which are characterized by the abundant foam that forms when poured into a glass, emulsifiers and silicone-based antifoaming agents with antifoaming effects are added. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for enhancing the body of the taste and improving the flavor of low-calorie or non-alcoholic beer-like sparkling beverages, which tend to have a weak taste, by adding an antifoaming agent to the beer-like sparkling beverage containing hop-derived components to suppress foam separation.

[0005] On the other hand, hydroxy acid esters are known to be used as additives to sparkling beverages such as beer-like sparkling beverages. For example, Patent Document 2 describes that adding hydroxy acid esters to carbonated beverages can enhance the carbonation sensation of the carbonated beverage without increasing the gas volume. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes that by adding a specific bitter substance and one or more stimulating substances selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate and tributyl citrate to a non-fermented beer-like sparkling beverage, a beer-like bitterness can be achieved even when hops are not used as a raw material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-128240 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-94129 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-082895 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for suppressing foaming of a beverage when it is filled into a container while minimizing the effect on flavor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors have discovered that by adding hydroxy acid esters such as tributyl citrate to a beverage, the generation of unpleasant tastes and odors can be suppressed while the foaming of the beverage can be suppressed, and in particular, overflow when the beverage is filled into a container can be suppressed, and have thus completed the present invention.

[0009] The method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention includes the following [1] to [6]. [1] A method for suppressing foaming in a beverage, comprising adding a hydroxy acid ester to the beverage. [2] The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to [1] above, wherein the beverage is a sparkling beverage. [3] The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to [1] or [2] above, wherein the concentration of the hydroxy acid esters in the beverage is adjusted to 1 ppm or more. [4] The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the hydroxy acid ester is one or more selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate, tripropyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, diethyl malate, and dibutyl malate. [5] The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to [4] above, wherein the hydroxy acid ester is tributyl citrate. [6] The beverage is filled in a container, The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the container is a flexible container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention can suppress the foaming of beverages while suppressing the generation of unpleasant tastes and odors.The present invention can effectively suppress overflow when filling containers with beverages that have high foaming properties, such as sparkling drinks. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention is characterized in that the beverage contains a hydroxy acid ester. By including the hydroxy acid ester, foaming can be suppressed and overflow during filling can be suppressed while suppressing deterioration in quality such as taste. As a result, the suitability for filling into containers can be improved. The fact that hydroxy acid esters have an antifoaming effect was discovered for the first time by the present inventors.

[0012] In the method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention, examples of hydroxy acid esters contained in the beverage include triethyl citrate, tripropyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, diethyl malate, dibutyl malate, amyl lactate, butyl lactate, ethyl lactate, isoamyl lactate, isobutyl lactate, isopropyl lactate, methyl lactate, 2-methylbutyl lactate, and propyl lactate. One or more types of hydroxy acid esters may be contained in the beverage. In the method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention, the beverage preferably contains one or more hydroxy acid esters selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate, tripropyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, diethyl malate, and dibutyl malate. It is more preferable to contain one or more hydroxy acid esters selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, and dibutyl malate. It is particularly preferable to contain tributyl citrate.

[0013] In the method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention, the concentration of hydroxy acid esters contained in the beverage is not particularly limited as long as the defoaming effect of the hydroxy acid esters is obtained, and can be appropriately determined taking into consideration the composition of other components contained in the beverage, the desired product quality, such as taste, and the like. In the method for suppressing foaming in a beverage according to the present invention, the concentration of hydroxy acid esters contained in the beverage is preferably 1.0 ppm or more, more preferably 1.0 to 10.0 ppm, and even more preferably 1.0 ppm or more and less than 5.0 ppm. In the present invention, foaming in a beverage can be suppressed even when the concentration of hydroxy acid esters is low. Note that when two or more types of hydroxy acid esters are contained in the beverage, the concentration of hydroxy acid esters in the beverage is the sum of the concentrations of the hydroxy acid esters in the beverage.

[0014] The beverage in which foaming is suppressed by containing hydroxy acid esters is not particularly limited, but the beverage is preferably a beverage with relatively high foaming properties, and more preferably a sparkling beverage, in order to more effectively exert the foaming suppressing effect of the hydroxy acid esters.

[0015] In the present invention and this specification, the term "sparkling beverage" refers to a beverage containing carbon dioxide gas. Sparkling beverages in which foaming is suppressed by the inclusion of hydroxy acid esters may be alcoholic beverages, or so-called non-alcoholic beverages or low-alcohol beverages with an alcohol content of less than 1% by volume. Furthermore, they may be beverages made from malt or beverages not made from malt, and may be beverages produced through a fermentation process or beverages produced without a fermentation process.

[0016] In the present invention, when the beverage containing hydroxy acid esters is a sparkling beverage, the gas volume of the beverage is not particularly limited and can be adjusted appropriately depending on the type of sparkling beverage and the desired product quality. For example, the gas volume of a sparkling beverage is preferably 2.3 gas volumes (GV) or more, more preferably 3.0 GV or more, even more preferably 3.0 GV to 5.0 GV, even more preferably 3.0 GV to 4.4 GV, particularly preferably more than 3.0 GV to 4.4 GV, and most preferably 3.2 GV to 4.4 GV. In the present invention, foaming of the beverage can be suppressed even when the carbon dioxide content is high.

[0017] In the present invention, the sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters is preferably one with a relatively high soluble solids content, since the foaming-inhibiting effect of the hydroxy acid esters is more pronounced. The soluble solids content (Brix) of the beverage can be measured by a conventional method using a sugar content refractometer or the like. The sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters is preferably one with a soluble solids content of 0.1 to 35%, more preferably 0.5 to 20%.

[0018] In the present invention, the sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters is preferably a beer-like sparkling beverage with high foaming properties. In the present invention and this specification, "beer-like sparkling beverage" refers to a sparkling beverage that has a beer-like flavor, and "beer-like" refers to a flavor that is reminiscent of beer, regardless of the product name or labeling. In other words, "beer-like sparkling beverage" refers to a sparkling beverage that has a flavor, taste, and texture equivalent to or similar to beer, and has high thirst quenching properties and drinkability, regardless of the alcohol content, the use of malt and hops, or the presence or absence of fermentation.

[0019] In the present invention, specific examples of beer-like sparkling beverages containing hydroxy acid esters include beer, malt-based happoshu, malt-free sparkling alcoholic beverages, low-alcohol sparkling beverages, and non-alcoholic beer. Other examples include liqueurs obtained by blending a beverage produced by fermentation using malt as a raw material with an alcohol-containing distillate. The alcohol-containing distillate is a solution containing alcohol obtained by distillation, and may be, for example, raw alcohol, such as spirits, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, or distilled liquor.

[0020] When a sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters to suppress foaming contains a bittering agent, such as a beer-like sparkling beverage, examples of the bittering agent include iso-α acids, tetraiso-α acids, β acid oxides, magnesium salts, calcium salts, naringin, quasin, quinine, momordicin, quercitrin, theobromine, caffeine, bitter melon, Swertia japonica tea, Kuding tea, wormwood extract, gentian extract, cinchona extract, etc. These bittering agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0021] When a sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters to suppress foaming contains a bittering agent, the content of the bittering agent can be appropriately adjusted depending on the type and taste of the sparkling beverage. For example, in the case of a beer-like sparkling beverage, the bittering value is preferably 8 BU or more, more preferably 8 BU to 30 BU, even more preferably 8 BU to 24 BU, and even more preferably 10 BU to 20 BU.

[0022] By using hops or hop processed products as raw materials, it is possible to produce sparkling beverages containing iso-α acids. Hops contain α acids, which are precursors of iso-α acids. The hops used as raw materials may be fresh hops, dried hops, or hop pellets. The hop processed products used as raw materials may also be hop extracts obtained by extracting bitter components from hops. They may also be hop processed products containing iso-compounds obtained by isosimido-compounding bitter components in hops, such as iso-compound hop extracts, tetrahydroisohumulones, and hexahydroisohumulones.

[0023] In the present invention and this specification, the bitterness value is an index of the bitterness imparted by a group of hop-derived substances whose main component is isohumulone, and the bitterness value of beverages including beer-like sparkling beverages can be measured by the method described in BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 8.15 (2004), edited by the Brewers Association of Japan.

[0024] As a beer-like sparkling beverage that suppresses foaming by containing hydroxy acid esters, a beer-like sparkling beverage with a relatively high content of true extract is more preferred, as the foaming suppression effect of the hydroxy acid esters is more pronounced. The true extract content of a beer-like sparkling beverage can be measured by the EBC method (edited by the Brewers Association of Japan: BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 7.2 (2004)). As a sparkling beverage containing hydroxy acid esters, a beer-like sparkling beverage with a true extract content of 0.5 to 7.0% by mass is preferred, and a beer-like sparkling beverage with a true extract content of 1.0 to 5.0% by mass is more preferred.

[0025] Beverages in which foaming is suppressed by containing hydroxy acid esters can be produced in the same manner as general fermented beer-like sparkling beverages and non-fermented beer-like sparkling beverages, except that hydroxy acid esters are contained.

[0026] Fermented beer-like sparkling beverages produced through a fermentation process can generally be produced through the steps of mashing (preparation of fermented raw material liquid), fermentation, storage, and filtration.

[0027] First, in the preparation step (fermentation raw material liquid preparation step), a fermentation raw material liquid is prepared from one or more fermentation raw materials selected from the group consisting of grain raw materials and carbohydrate raw materials. Specifically, a mixture containing the fermentation raw material and raw material water is heated to saccharify the starch to prepare a sugar liquid, and the obtained sugar liquid is then boiled, and at least a portion of the solid content is then removed to prepare the fermentation raw material liquid.

[0028] First, a mixture containing at least one of a grain raw material and a carbohydrate raw material and raw material water is prepared and heated to saccharify the starch in the grain raw material, etc., to prepare a sugar solution. As the raw material for the sugar solution, only the grain raw material may be used, only the carbohydrate raw material may be used, or both may be used in combination. Examples of grain raw materials include barley, wheat, and malt thereof, as well as rice, corn, beans such as soybeans, and potatoes. While the grain raw material can be used as grain syrup, grain extract, etc., it is preferable to use it as a ground grain product obtained by grinding. The grinding of grains can be carried out by conventional methods. The ground grain product may be ground malt, corn starch, corn grits, etc., and may be one that has been subjected to conventional treatments before or after grinding. The ground grain product used is preferably ground malt. The use of ground malt allows for the production of a fermented, beer-like sparkling beverage with a more pronounced beer-like flavor. The ground malt may be barley, such as two-row barley, germinated by a conventional method, dried, and then ground to a predetermined particle size. The grain raw material may be one type of grain raw material or a mixture of multiple types of grain raw materials. For example, ground malt may be used as the main raw material, and ground rice or corn may be used as the secondary raw material. Examples of carbohydrate raw materials include sugars such as liquid sugar.

[0029] The mixture may contain other secondary ingredients in addition to the grain raw material and water. Examples of such secondary ingredients include hops, dietary fiber, yeast extract, fruit juice, bittering agents, coloring agents, herbs, and flavoring agents. If necessary, saccharifying enzymes such as α-amylase, glucoamylase, and pullulanase, and enzymes such as proteases can also be added.

[0030] Saccharification is carried out using enzymes derived from grain raw materials or enzymes added separately. The temperature and time during saccharification are adjusted appropriately taking into consideration the type of grain raw material used, the proportion of the grain raw material in the total fermentation raw materials, the type and amount of enzymes added, and the quality of the desired fermented beer-like sparkling beverage. For example, saccharification can be carried out by a conventional method, such as by maintaining a mixture containing grain raw materials at 35 to 70°C for 20 to 90 minutes.

[0031] The sugar solution obtained after saccharification can be boiled to prepare a broth (a boiled product of the sugar solution). It is preferable to filter the sugar solution before boiling, and then boil the obtained filtrate. Alternatively, instead of the filtrate of the sugar solution, a mixture of malt extract and warm water may be used and boiled. The boiling method and conditions can be determined as appropriate.

[0032] By adding herbs and the like as appropriate before or during the boiling process, a fermented beer-like sparkling beverage with a desired flavor can be produced. For example, by adding hops before or during the boiling process and then performing the boiling process in the presence of hops, the flavor and aroma components of the hops, particularly the bitter components, can be efficiently extracted. The amount of hops to be added, the manner of addition (e.g., adding hops in several batches), and the boiling conditions can be determined as appropriate.

[0033] The broth obtained after the boiling treatment contains residues such as proteins that have been produced by precipitation. Therefore, at least a portion of the solid components such as residues are removed from the broth. The removal of the residues can be carried out by any solid-liquid separation process, but typically a tank called a whirlpool is used to remove the sediment. The temperature of the broth at this time should be 15°C or higher, and is generally around 50 to 100°C. The broth (filtrate) after the residue removal is cooled to an appropriate fermentation temperature using a plate cooler or the like. This broth after the residue removal becomes the fermentation raw material liquid.

[0034] Next, in the fermentation step, yeast is inoculated into the cooled fermentation raw material liquid and fermentation is carried out. The cooled fermentation raw material liquid may be subjected to the fermentation step as is, or may be subjected to the fermentation step after being adjusted to a desired extract concentration. The yeast used for fermentation is not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected from yeasts normally used in the production of alcoholic beverages. Either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used, but bottom-fermenting yeast is preferred because it is easily applicable to large-scale brewing equipment.

[0035] Furthermore, in the storage step, the obtained fermented liquid is aged in a storage tank and stored under low-temperature conditions of about 0°C for stabilization, and then in the filtration step, the aged fermented liquid is filtered to remove yeast and proteins that are insoluble in that temperature range, thereby obtaining the desired fermented beer-like sparkling beverage. The filtration process may be any method that can filter out the yeast, and examples include diatomaceous earth filtration and filter filtration using a filter with an average pore size of about 0.4 to 1.0 μm.

[0036] Non-fermented beer-like sparkling beverages, which are produced without a fermentation process, can generally be produced by a method of mixing ingredients (blending method). For example, specifically, they can be produced by a blending step of preparing a blend by mixing ingredients, and a gas introduction step of adding carbon dioxide gas to the resulting blend.

[0037] First, in the blending step, the raw materials are mixed to prepare a blended liquid. In the blending step, it is preferable to prepare a blended liquid in which all raw materials except carbon dioxide gas are mixed. The order in which the raw materials are mixed is not particularly limited. All raw materials may be added to the raw material water at the same time, or the raw materials may be added sequentially, such as by dissolving the previously added raw materials and then adding the remaining raw materials. Furthermore, for example, solid raw materials (e.g., powder or granular) and alcohol may be mixed with the raw material water, or the solid raw materials may be prepared as aqueous solutions in advance, and these aqueous solutions, alcohol, and, if necessary, raw material water may be mixed. Furthermore, heated raw materials may be added to the raw material water, or the prepared blended liquid may be heated.

[0038] Examples of ingredients include bittering agents, acidulants, sweetening agents, caramel coloring, flavoring agents, ethanol (raw alcohol), emulsifiers, polysaccharides, water-soluble dietary fiber, proteins or their decomposition products, etc. As the bittering agent, those listed above can be used.

[0039] Examples of sweeteners include, but are not limited to, sucrose, glucose, fructose, isomerized liquid sugar, and high-intensity sweeteners. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, neotame, stevia, and enzyme-treated stevia.

[0040] Acidulants include organic acids such as citric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, and fumaric acid. Flavoring agents include beer extracts, beer flavorings, hop flavorings, and the like.

[0041] Examples of emulsifiers include polyglycerin fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, polypropylene glycol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polysorbates.

[0042] Examples of polysaccharides include starch, dextrin, etc. Dextrin is a carbohydrate obtained by hydrolyzing starch and is larger than an oligosaccharide (a carbohydrate formed by polymerizing approximately 3 to 10 monosaccharides).

[0043] Water-soluble dietary fiber refers to carbohydrates that dissolve in water and are not or are difficult to digest by human digestive enzymes. Examples of water-soluble dietary fiber include soybean dietary fiber (soluble soybean polysaccharides), polydextrose, indigestible dextrin, galactomannan, inulin, guar gum hydrolyzate, pectin, gum arabic, etc.

[0044] If insoluble matter is generated in the preparation prepared in the preparation step, it is preferable to subject the preparation to a treatment to remove the insoluble matter, such as filtration, before the gas introduction step. The insoluble matter removal treatment is not particularly limited, and can be carried out by a method commonly used in the technical field, such as filtration or centrifugation. In the present invention, it is preferable to remove the insoluble matter by filtration, and more preferably by diatomaceous earth filtration.

[0045] Next, in the gas introduction step, carbon dioxide gas is added to the preparation obtained in the blending step. This results in a non-fermented, beer-like sparkling beverage. The addition of carbon dioxide imparts a refreshing sensation similar to that of beer. The addition of carbon dioxide gas can be carried out by a conventional method. For example, the preparation obtained in the blending step and carbonated water may be mixed, or carbon dioxide gas may be directly added to and dissolved in the preparation obtained in the blending step.

[0046] After the addition of carbon dioxide gas, the resulting non-fermented, beer-like sparkling beverage may be further subjected to a process for removing insoluble matter, such as filtration. The insoluble matter removal process is not particularly limited, and may be carried out by a method commonly used in the art.

[0047] As beverages in which foaming is suppressed by containing hydroxy acid esters, packaged beverages are preferred, packaged sparkling beverages are more preferred, and packaged beer-like sparkling beverages are even more preferred. The container into which the packaged beer-like sparkling beverage is filled is not particularly limited. Specific examples include glass bottles, cans, and flexible containers. Flexible containers include containers made by molding flexible resins such as PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer), and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Flexible containers may be made of a single-layer resin or a multi-layer resin.

[0048] When the beverage containing hydroxy acid esters to suppress foaming is a bottled beer-like sparkling beverage, the shape of the container in which the beverage is filled is not particularly limited, as long as the maximum cross-sectional diameter of the container (the diameter of a circle equal to the maximum cross-sectional area of ​​the interior cross section of the container parallel to the bottom) is 90 mm or less, the height from the bottom of the container to the opening of the container is 300 mm or less, and the volume of the beverage filled is 200 mL to 2 L. As such a container, a container with an inner diameter of the opening when filled with the beverage of 20 to 40 mm is preferred, and a container with an inner diameter of the opening when filled with the beverage of 20 to 40 mm is more preferred, and a container with a ratio of the empty space of the container to the volume of the filled beverage ([empty space volume] / [beverage volume]) of 0.045 to 0.055 is more preferred. Containers of this shape are prone to foaming when filled with beverage from the upper opening. Even when filling such a container with a highly foamy beer-like sparkling beverage, by adding hydroxy acid esters, foaming can be effectively suppressed while minimizing the impact on quality such as taste, and overflow can be prevented. [Example]

[0049] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to examples and reference examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0050] <Evaluation of foaming during filling> In the following experiments, unless otherwise specified, foaming of the beverage during filling was evaluated using the following method. The evaluation was based on whether or not the beverage foamed over from the opening of a 500 mL PET bottle when filled. A beverage was filled into the opening of a PET bottle using a filler for filling PET bottles, and it was investigated whether or not overflow occurred from the opening. The filling conditions were 750 bpm, equivalent to 120 valves, and a single-hole filling nozzle was used. The liquid temperature of the beverage during filling was 6°C. If overflow did not occur, the beverage was evaluated as having suppressed foaming during filling, and if overflow occurred, the beverage was evaluated as not having suppressed foaming during filling.

[0051] [Example 1] Tributyl citrate (TBC) was added to non-alcoholic beer to investigate its effect on foaming during filling into containers.

[0052] First, 25 g of dextrin, 10 g of high-fructose corn syrup, 0.3 g of caramel, and 0.7 g of phosphoric acid were mixed with 1 L of water. To the resulting mixture, iso-hop extract was added to adjust the bitterness value of the beverage to 17 BU, and the carbon dioxide content was adjusted to 3.8 GV to prepare an alcohol-free, non-fermented, beer-like sparkling beverage with a soluble solids content of 3.66%. TBC was added to the resulting sparkling beverage to concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, or 10.0 ppm, and the beverage was then bottled and inspected for overflow.

[0053] As a control, a sparkling beverage (soluble solids 0%) was prepared by adding iso-hop extract to water to achieve a final bitterness value of 17 BU and adjusting the carbon dioxide content to 3.8 GV, and the presence or absence of overflow was similarly examined.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] Although no overflow occurred in the sparkling beverage of Test Group 1, which had a soluble solids content of 0%, overflow did occur in the sparkling beverage of Test Group 2, which had a soluble solids content of 3.66%. The overflow observed in Test Group 2 did not occur in the sparkling beverages containing 1.0 ppm or more of TBC. Furthermore, no off-flavors or unpleasant tastes were detected in any of the sparkling beverages of the test groups. These results demonstrate that TBC can suppress foaming during filling and prevent overflow in sparkling beverages, particularly highly foamy non-fermented beer-like sparkling beverages, without compromising the quality of their taste or odor.

[0056] [Example 2] TBC was added to beer to examine its effect on foaming during filling into containers.

[0057] 40 kg of ground malt and 100 L of hot water were added to a brewing tank, and protein quenching and saccharification were carried out at temperatures ranging from 50 to 76°C. The saccharified liquid was filtered using a reuter filtration tank and then transferred to a boiling kettle. Hop extract was added so that the bitterness value of the beverage was 20 BU. The volume was then adjusted to 160 L and boiled for 60 minutes. After boiling, hot water was added to compensate for evaporation, and the heat trough was removed in a whirlpool tank. The mixture was then cooled to 8°C using a plate cooler to obtain 170 L of cold wort. Yeast was inoculated into this cold wort and fermented at approximately 10°C for 7 days. After fermentation, the yeast was removed and the mixture was transferred to a tank and aged for 7 days. After aging, the mixture was cooled to approximately -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The beverage was then diluted with degassed water, filtered through diatomaceous earth, and the carbon dioxide gas was adjusted so that the beverage's gas volume was 3.8 GV, resulting in a clear, fermented, beer-like sparkling beverage containing 4.02% true extract.

[0058] TBC was added to the resulting sparkling beverage to give concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, or 10.0 ppm, and the beverage was then filled into a PET bottle and checked for overflow.

[0059] [Table 2]

[0060] Overflow occurred in the sparkling beverage from Test Group 9, which did not contain TBC. The overflow observed in Test Group 9 did not occur in the sparkling beverages containing 1.0 ppm or more of TBC. Furthermore, no off-flavors or unpleasant tastes were detected in any of the sparkling beverages from any of the test groups. These results demonstrate that TBC can suppress foaming during filling and prevent overflow in sparkling beverages, particularly highly foamy fermented beer-like sparkling beverages, without compromising the quality of their taste or odor.

Claims

1. A method for suppressing foaming in a beverage, comprising adding one or more hydroxy acid esters selected from the group consisting of triethyl citrate, tripropyl citrate, and tributyl citrate to the beverage so that the concentration of the hydroxy acid esters in the beverage is 1.0 to 10.0 ppm.

2. The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to claim 1, wherein the beverage is a sparkling beverage.

3. 3. The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to claim 1, wherein the hydroxy acid ester is tributyl citrate.

4. The beverage is filled in a container, The method for suppressing foaming of a beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container is a flexible container.

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