Beer-flavored beverage having reduced purine body concentration, and method for producing same

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel beer-flavored beverage which has a reduced purine body concentration, and which has good thickness, depth of flavor and balance in the latter half. According to the present invention, provided is a beer-flavored beverage which has a purine body concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less and which contains 0.5 ppb or more of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 0.5 ppb or more of 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. The total content of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is preferably 1 ppb or more.

Description

Beer-flavored beverage with reduced purine concentration and method for producing same REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application benefits from the priority of an earlier Japanese application, Patent Application No. 2023-116465 (filing date: July 18, 2023), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage with a reduced purine concentration and a method for producing the same.

[0003] It is known that beer, a fermented malt beverage, contains purine compounds derived from barley raw materials, etc. When ingested as food, purine compounds are decomposed into uric acid. Dietary restrictions for hyperuricemia may restrict the intake of purine compounds. In addition to restrictions on foods with higher purine compound content, such as meat, eggs, and liver, fermented malt beverages such as beer may also be subject to dietary restrictions. For this reason, there is a demand for fermented malt beverages such as beer that contain reduced purine compounds.

[0004] As beer-flavored beverages that have a reduced purine concentration but still have a beer-like flavor and a rich taste, and methods for producing such beverages, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known.

[0005] JP 2018-196336 A JP 2019-097414 A

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a novel beer-taste beverage that has a reduced purine concentration, yet has a rich mid-to-late flavor, a full-bodied taste, and a good balance, and a method for producing the same.

[0007] The present inventors have found that by incorporating a predetermined amount of pyrazines into a beer-taste beverage with a reduced purine concentration, it is possible to provide a beer-taste beverage that has a reduced purine concentration but still has a rich, full-bodied flavor and a well-balanced mid-to-late taste. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0008] The present invention provides the following inventions. [1] A beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, which contains 2-methylpyrazine at 0.5 ppb or more and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine at 0.5 ppb or more. [2] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] above, in which the total content of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is 1 ppb or more. [3] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2] above, in which the purine concentration is 3.0 mg / 100 mL or less. [4] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2] above, which is a beer-flavored fermented malt alcoholic beverage. [5] The beer-taste beverage according to [4] above, in which the alcohol concentration is 10.0 v / v% or less. [6] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, comprising the step of adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the 2-methylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more and / or the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more. [7] A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, comprising the step of adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the 2-methylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more and / or the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more.

[0009] According to the present invention, by incorporating a predetermined amount of pyrazines into a beer-taste beverage with a reduced purine concentration, it is possible to provide a beer-taste beverage that has a rich, full-bodied mid-to-late flavor and a well-balanced taste, while still having a reduced purine concentration. This is advantageous in that it can meet a variety of consumer needs, such as health consciousness. Specific Description of the Invention

[0010] In the present invention, the term "beer taste" refers to the taste and aroma specific to beer that can be obtained when beer is produced in the usual manner, i.e., when beer is produced based on fermentation by yeast or the like.

[0011] In the present invention, "beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage fermented by yeast using a carbon source, a nitrogen source, water, and other ingredients, and includes beer, happoshu, and beverages obtained by adding alcohol to beer or happoshu that use malt as an ingredient (for example, a new genre of liqueur beverage classified as "Liqueur (sparkling) (2)" under the Liquor Tax Act). Preferred embodiments of beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverages include those that use malt and / or ungerminated barley and wheat as at least a portion of the ingredients, and more preferred embodiments include those that use malt as at least a portion of the ingredients.

[0012] The beer-taste fermented malt alcoholic beverage produced according to the present invention uses malt as at least a portion of its raw material, and preferably uses either or both of barley malt and wheat malt as the malt. When the beer-taste fermented malt alcoholic beverage produced according to the present invention uses malt as at least a portion of its raw material, the malt usage ratio can be, for example, 20% or less, 20% or more but less than 25%, 25% or more but 30% or less, 30% or more but 40% or less, 40% or more but less than 50%, 50% or more but 55% or less, 55% or more but 60% or less, 60% or more but 65% or less, 65% or more but 70% or less, 70% or more but 75% or less, 75% or more but 80% or less, 80% or more but 85% or less, 85% or more but 90% or less, 90% or more but 95% or less, 95% or more, or 100%, and these upper and lower limits can be combined as desired. In this specification, the "malt usage ratio" refers to the ratio of the mass of malt to the mass of all raw materials excluding hops and brewing water. In the present invention, beer can mean a product obtained by fermenting malt, hops, water, and other certain auxiliary materials, or a product obtained by adding hops or certain auxiliary materials to this and fermenting it, and which meets the following two conditions (limited to beer with an alcohol content of less than 20%: - the malt ratio is 50 / 100 or more, and - the weight of the used fruit (including dried, boiled, or concentrated fruit juice) and certain flavorings does not exceed 5 / 100 of the weight of malt (including those that do not use any fruit) (see the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953), which was amended by the "Act to Partially Amend the Income Tax Act, etc." (Act No. 4 of 2017), which came into effect on April 1, 2018).

[0013] The alcohol concentration of the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be set at any value, with the lower limit (above or above) being, for example, 1.0 v / v%, 1.5 v / v%, 2.0 v / v%, 2.5 v / v%, or 3.0 v / v%, and the upper limit (below or below) being, for example, 11.0 v / v%, 10.5 v / v%, 10.0 v / v%, 9.5 v / v%, 9.0 v / v%, 8.5 v / v%, 8.0 v / v%, 7.5 v / v%, 7.0 v / v%, 6.5 v / v%, or 6.0 v / v%. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, and the alcohol concentration of the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be, for example, 1.0 to 10.0 v / v%, preferably 3.0 to 6.0 v / v%.

[0014] Methods for measuring the alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) in a beverage are widely known to those skilled in the art, and can be measured, for example, by the method described in the "National Tax Agency Prescribed Analysis Method."

[0015] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. Here, "non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage" refers to a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 1% v / v, preferably a zero-alcohol beer-taste beverage (e.g., a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol concentration of 0.00% v / v). Such zero-alcohol beer-taste beverages are preferably non-fermented beer-taste beverages, i.e., beer-taste beverages produced without a fermentation process. Here, the "fermentation process" refers to the process in which microorganisms such as yeast decompose organic matter to produce metabolic products such as alcohol. According to a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a zero-alcohol beer-taste beverage made using malt as an ingredient.

[0016] According to the present invention, a "beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage" may also be a beer-flavored beverage containing alcohol at a concentration of less than 1 v / v %, and such beer-flavored beverages include beer-flavored beverages produced by subjecting a beer-flavored fermented malt alcoholic beverage such as beer to a dealcoholization process, and beer-flavored beverages produced through limited ethanol fermentation.

[0017] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention has a reduced purine concentration. Specifically, the upper limit of the purine concentration of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not more than or lower than) is 12 mg / 100 mL, and the lower limit is 11 mg / 100 mL, 10 mg / 100 mL, 9.0 mg / 100 mL, 8.0 mg / 100 mL, 7.0 mg / 100 mL, 6.0 mg / 100 mL, 5.0 mg / 100 mL, 4.0 mg / 100 mL, 3.5 mg / 100 mL, 3.4 mg / 100 mL, 3.3 mg / 100 mL, 3.2 mg / 100 mL, 3.1 mg / 100 mL, 3.0 mg / 100 mL, 2.9 mg / 100 mL, 2.8 mg / 100 mL, 2.7 mg / 100 mL, 2.6 mg / 100 mL, 2.5 mg / 100 mL, and 2. It can also be 4 mg / 100 mL, 2.3 mg / 100 mL, 2.2 mg / 100 mL, 2.1 mg / 100 mL, 2.0 mg / 100 mL, 1.9 mg / 100 mL, 1.8 mg / 100 mL, 1.7 mg / 100 mL, 1.6 mg / 100 mL, 1.5 mg / 100 mL, 1.4 mg / 100 mL, 1.3 mg / 100 mL, 1.2 mg / 100 mL, 1.1 mg / 100 mL, 1.0 mg / 100 mL, 0.9 mg / 100 mL, 0.8 mg / 100 mL, 0.7 mg / 100 mL, 0.6 mg / 100 mL, 0.5 mg / 100 mL, 0.4 mg / 100 mL, 0.3 mg / 100 mL or 0.2 mg / 100 mL. In addition, beverages with a purine concentration of less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL correspond to "zero purine beverages."

[0018] Purines can be measured by known methods, for example, by a method in which purines are hydrolyzed with perchloric acid and then detected using LC-MS / MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry) (see Journal of Food Hygiene 55(2):110-116(2014)). In this specification, the term "purine concentration" refers to the total amount of four purine bases, i.e., adenine, xanthine, guanine, and hypoxanthine.

[0019] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention may have a reduced carbohydrate concentration. Specifically, the upper limit of the carbohydrate concentration of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not more than or lower than) is 2.5 g / 100 mL, 2.4 g / 100 mL, 2.3 g / 100 mL, 2.2 g / 100 mL, 2.1 g / 100 mL, 2.0 g / 100 mL, 1.9 g / 100 mL, 1.8 g / 100 mL, 1.7 g / 100 mL, 1.6 g / 100 mL, 1.5 g / 100 mL, 1.6 ... The sugar concentration can be 0 mL, 1.4 g / 100 mL, 1.3 g / 100 mL, 1.2 g / 100 mL, 1.1 g / 100 mL, 1.0 g / 100 mL, 0.9 g / 100 mL, 0.8 g / 100 mL, 0.7 g / 100 mL, 0.6 g / 100 mL, 0.5 g / 100 mL, 0.4 g / 100 mL, 0.3 g / 100 mL or 0.2 g / 100 mL. Note that beverages with a sugar concentration of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL qualify as "zero sugar beverages."

[0020] The carbohydrate concentration can be measured by known methods, and can be calculated by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, lipids, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample to be measured (see the Nutrition Labeling Standards (Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 9, December 16, 2009, partially revised)).

[0021] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is characterized by having a 2-methylpyrazine concentration of a predetermined value. Specifically, the lower limit of the 2-methylpyrazine concentration of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not less than or exceeding) is 0.5 ppb, and can also be 0.6 ppb, 0.7 ppb, 0.8 ppb, 0.9 ppb, 1.0 ppb, 2.0 ppb, 3.0 ppb, 4.0 ppb, 5.0 ppb, 10 ppb, 15 ppb, 20 ppb, 25 ppb, or 30 ppb. Furthermore, in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the upper limit of the 2-methylpyrazine concentration (not more than or lower than) can be set as appropriate, and can be, for example, 1200 ppb, 1100 ppb, 1000 ppb, 900 ppb, 800 ppb, 700 ppb, 600 ppb, 500 ppb, 400 ppb, 300 ppb, 200 ppb, 150 ppb, 140 ppb, 130 ppb, 120 ppb, 110 ppb, 100 ppb, 90 ppb, or 80 ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, and the 2-methylpyrazine concentration in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be, for example, from 0.5 ppb to 1200 ppb, from 0.6 ppb to 1200 ppb, from 0.6 ppb to 1000 ppb, from 0.6 ppb to 500 ppb, or from 0.6 ppb to 100 ppb.

[0022] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is characterized by having a 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration of a predetermined value. Specifically, the lower limit of the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not less than or exceeding) is 0.5 ppb, and can also be 0.6 ppb, 0.7 ppb, 0.8 ppb, 0.9 ppb, 1.0 ppb, 2.0 ppb, 3.0 ppb, 4.0 ppb, 5.0 ppb, 10 ppb, 15 ppb, 20 ppb, 25 ppb, or 30 ppb. Furthermore, in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the upper limit of the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration (not more than or lower than) can be set as appropriate, and can be, for example, 500 ppb, 450 ppb, 400 ppb, 350 ppb, 300 ppb, 250 ppb, 200 ppb, 150 ppb, 140 ppb, 130 ppb, 120 ppb, 110 ppb, 100 ppb, 90 ppb, or 80 ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, and the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be, for example, from 0.5 ppb to 500 ppb, from 0.5 ppb to 120 ppb, from 0.5 ppb to 80 ppb, from 2.0 ppb to 500 ppb, from 2.0 ppb to 120 ppb, or from 2.0 ppb to 80 ppb.

[0023] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention can have a predetermined total concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. The lower limit of the total concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not less than or exceeding) can be, for example, 1 ppb, 1.1 ppb, 1.2 ppb, 1.4 ppb, 1.6 ppb, 1.8 ppb, 2.0 ppb, 3.0 ppb, 4.0 ppb, 5.0 ppb, 6.0 ppb, 7.0 ppb, 8.0 ppb, 9.0 ppb, 10 ppb, 20 ppb, 30 ppb, 35 ppb, 40 ppb, 50 ppb, or 60 ppb. The upper limit of the combined concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention (not more than or lower than) can be, for example, 1700 ppb, 1600 ppb, 1500 ppb, 1400 ppb, 1300 ppb, 1200 ppb, 1100 ppb, 1000 ppb, 900 ppb, 800 ppb, 700 ppb, 600 ppb, 500 ppb, 400 ppb, 300 ppb, 280 ppb, 260 ppb, 240 ppb, 220 ppb, 200 ppb, 180 ppb, 160 ppb, 140 ppb, 120 ppb, or 100 ppb. These lower and upper limits can be combined in any desired manner, and the total concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be, for example, from 1 ppb to 1700 ppb, from 1.1 ppb to 1400 ppb, from 1.1 ppb to 1100 ppb, from 35 ppb to 1100 ppb, or from 35 ppb to 200 ppb. The total concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is calculated by adding together the individual concentrations.

[0024] In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, it is sufficient that the content of at least one of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is 0.5 ppb or more, in which case the combined concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is preferably 1 ppb or more. In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, it is also preferable that the content of 2-methylpyrazine is 0.5 ppb or more and the content of 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is 0.5 ppb or more, in which case the combined concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is more preferably 2 ppb or more.

[0025] When either or both of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine are added in the production of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, they may be in any form suitable for food production, and may be in any form that is readily soluble in an aqueous solvent, and may be purified or crudely purified. 2-Methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine are approved for addition to foods as food additives (flavorings), and any available flavorings can be used in the present invention. In the present invention, a food ingredient containing 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine may also be used in the production of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, and a step of generating 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, as described below, may also be carried out during the production process.

[0026] In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the concentrations of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine can be measured, for example, by GC / MS analysis.

[0027] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is characterized by its thickness in the middle and latter half of the flavor, its full-bodied flavor, and its good balance, despite its reduced purine concentration. Low-purine beer-taste beverages (particularly low-purine beers and happoshu) have had the problem of insufficient thickness and full-bodied flavor in the middle and latter half of the flavor due to the special methods used to adjust the purine content. The beer-taste beverage of the present invention has an improved thickness and full-bodied flavor in the middle and latter half of the flavor, and is well-balanced, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems of low-purine beer-taste beverages. Here, "thickness in the middle and latter half of the flavor" refers to the fullness of flavor felt just before tasting and swallowing. Furthermore, "full-bodied flavor" refers to a broad flavor that enhances the overall aroma and flavor of the beer. Furthermore, "balance" refers to a harmonious flavor that is characteristic of beer.

[0028] There are no particular restrictions on the production procedure for the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, so long as the purine concentration is reduced to within a specified range and either or both of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine are contained at specified concentrations.

[0029] A beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage can be produced, for example, according to a typical method for producing a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage, as described below. That is, a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage can be produced by adding fermenting beer yeast to wort prepared from brewing raw materials such as malt and brewing water, fermenting the resulting fermented liquid, storing it at low temperature, and then removing the yeast by a filtration process. The purine content of the beverage can be reduced according to known methods described below. 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine can be added to the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage thus obtained with a reduced purine concentration so that the concentrations of either or both of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine reach predetermined values, thereby producing the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention. The blending of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine into a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage can be carried out by adding the 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine to the fermentation broth after fermentation, taking into consideration the concentrations of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine in the fermentation broth. In this way, a beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage can be produced that has a reduced purine concentration and contains a predetermined amount of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine.

[0030] The purine content of the beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be reduced by known methods. Non-limiting examples of methods for reducing the purine concentration in a beer-flavored fermented alcoholic beverage include a method in which a pre-fermentation solution or a fermentation solution is contacted with an adsorbent such as activated carbon or zeolite to reduce the purine content in the beverage (see, for example, JP 2003-169658 A, JP 2004-290071 A, JP 2004-290072 A, JP 2015-112090 A), and a method in which the purine content of a beverage is reduced using ingredients other than malt that contain less purine (e.g., soy protein, corn grits) (see, for example, JP 2014-117204 A, JP 2014-117205 A).

[0031] A beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage can be produced, for example, according to a typical method for producing a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage, as described below. That is, a brewing liquid is prepared from various production ingredients (e.g., malt, hops, auxiliary ingredients, additives) and water, and the brewing liquid is allowed to stand to remove solids, followed by filtration to produce a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage. Alternatively, in the present invention, a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage can be produced by blending or mixing various production ingredients and water, allowing the liquid to stand to remove solids, and then filtering. 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine can be added to a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage after preparation, taking into consideration the concentrations of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine in the beverage. In this way, a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage with a reduced purine concentration and containing a predetermined amount of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine can be produced. Methods for reducing the purine concentration in beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages to within a predetermined range include, for example, selecting raw materials with a low purine content and removing the purine by adsorption using activated carbon.

[0032] In the above production procedure, wort can be produced by conventional methods. For example, a mixture of brewing raw materials and brewing water can be saccharified and filtered to obtain wort. Hops can then be added to the wort, followed by boiling and cooling the boiled wort to produce wort. Wort can also be produced by adding commercially available enzyme preparations during the saccharification process. For example, protease preparations can be used for protein degradation; α-amylase preparations, glucoamylase preparations, pullulanase preparations, etc. can be used for carbohydrate degradation; and β-glucanase preparations, cellulose-degrading enzyme preparations, etc. can be used for cellulosic degradation, or a mixture of these preparations can also be used. The mash liquid prepared in the production of beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages can also be prepared in a similar manner to the wort preparation method.

[0033] In the production of the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, in addition to malt, other ingredients may be used, such as ungerminated barley (for example, ungerminated barley (including extracts), ungerminated wheat (including extracts)); rice, corn, koryang (red radish), potato, starch, sugars (for example, liquid sugar), fruit (for example, fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice), coriander or its seeds, spices or ingredients thereof (for example, pepper, cinnamon, Japanese pepper), herbs (for example, chamomile, sage, basil), Other brewing ingredients that can be used include secondary ingredients such as vegetables (e.g., sweet potato, pumpkin), buckwheat or sesame, carbohydrate-containing substances (e.g., honey, brown sugar), salt, miso, flowers, tea, coffee, cocoa (including preparations of tea, coffee, and cocoa), and seafood (e.g., oysters, kelp, wakame seaweed, and bonito flakes); nitrogen sources such as protein hydrolysates and yeast extract; flavorings, coloring agents such as pigments, foaming / foam retention improvers, water quality conditioners, fermentation aids, and dietary fiber. These ingredients can also be used as production ingredients in the production of the beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage of the present invention.

[0034] The raw materials used in the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage of the present invention, other than brewing water, can be at least malt and hops, and in some cases can further include sugars, rice, corn, starch, etc. Of the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverages, it goes without saying that all-malt beer can be produced from malt, hops, and water.

[0035] It is known that pyrazines are produced by the thermal reaction (Maillard reaction) between sugars and amino acids. Therefore, by employing a decoction method or extending the boiling time in the preparation of a brewing liquid such as wort, the concentration of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine contained in a beer-taste beverage can be adjusted to a predetermined level. Apart from these steps, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced according to a typical beer-taste beverage production method, while implementing the method for reducing the purine concentration in the beverage to within a predetermined range, as described above.

[0036] The pH of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted to between 2.0 and 7.0, preferably between 2.3 and 5.0, more preferably between 3.0 and 4.7, and most preferably between 3.5 and 4.5. The pH of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjuster. The pH of the beer-taste beverage can be measured using a commercially available pH meter (e.g., a HORIBA Scientific benchtop pH meter, manufactured by HORIBA Advanced Techno Co., Ltd.).

[0037] The beverage provided by the present invention can be provided as a bottled beverage after being subjected to a step of adding carbon dioxide gas as needed, and further subjected to steps such as a filling step and a sterilization step. Sterilization may be carried out before or after filling into the container. Furthermore, if the pH of the beverage is adjusted to less than 4, the beverage can be filled directly without going through the sterilization step to produce a bottled beverage.

[0038] The container used for the beverage of the present invention may be any container that is normally used for filling beverages, such as a metal can, a barrel, a plastic bottle (e.g., a PET bottle or cup), a paper container, a bottle, or a pouch container, but metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., a PET bottle), or a bottle are preferred.

[0039] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for producing a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, the method comprising the step of adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the 2-methylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or higher and / or the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or higher. The production method of the present invention improves the flavor of the produced beer-taste beverage. Here, "improved flavor" or "flavor improvement" of a beer-taste beverage means that, despite the beer-taste beverage having a reduced purine concentration, the beer-taste beverage exhibits a rich, full-bodied taste and good balance in the mid-to-late flavor. The production method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the above and other descriptions related to the beer-taste beverage of the present invention.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, the method comprising the step of adding 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the 2-methylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more and / or the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration in the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more. The flavor improving method of the present invention can improve the flavor of a beer-taste beverage with a reduced purine concentration. The flavor improving method of the present invention can be carried out in accordance with the above and other descriptions related to the beer-taste fermented alcoholic beverage and its production method of the present invention.

[0041] The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0042] Measurement of pyrazine concentration Pyrazines were measured as follows. First, aroma components in the beverage were separated using a C18 solid-phase extraction column, and the resulting analytical sample was subjected to GC / MS. In addition, borneol was used as an internal standard substance and added to the sample so that the concentration in the analytical sample was 50 ppb. The GC / MS analysis conditions were as shown in Table 1 below.

[0043]

[0044] Measurement of Purine Concentration Purine concentrations were measured as follows: after hydrolysis with perchloric acid, they were detected using LC-MS / MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry) (see Journal of Food and Nutrition 55(2):110-116(2014)).

[0045] Measurement of Alcohol Concentration The alcohol concentration (ethanol concentration) was measured according to the method described in the "National Tax Agency Specified Analysis Method."

[0046] Measurement of original extract concentration The original extract concentration (OE concentration) was measured in accordance with the BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (Beer Brewers Association (2013) 8.3.6, 8.4.3 and 8.5). The measurement was performed using an Alcolyzer (manufactured by Anton Paar).

[0047] Example 1: Effect of pyrazines on the flavor of beer-taste beverages (1) Overview In this example, pyrazines were added to beverage samples prepared by diluting commercially available beer-taste beverages, and a sensory evaluation test was conducted on the flavor of each of the resulting samples.

[0048] (2) Preparation of Tasting Samples Commercially available happoshu (purine concentration: less than 0.5 mg / 100 mL, carbohydrates: less than 0.5 g / 100 mL, malt content: less than 25%, alcohol content: 5.5%) and commercial beer (malt content: 100%, alcohol content: 5%) were diluted with water, and brewing ethanol (95%) was added as needed to prepare base beverages with the specified total purine content and alcohol content. Taking into account the concentration of pyrazines contained in the prepared base beverages, 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine were added to the beverage samples to achieve the concentrations listed in Tables 3 to 5 below to prepare the tasting samples for Test Groups 1 to 20. Based on the degree of dilution, it was confirmed that the carbohydrate concentration of the tasting samples for Test Groups 1 to 20 was less than 0.5 g / 100 mL.

[0049] (3) Sensory Evaluation The sensory evaluation test was conducted by four trained panelists. The evaluation criteria for thickness of the middle and latter half of the flavor, rich flavor, and balance are shown in Table 2. Each evaluation item was evaluated in increments of 0.1 within the range of 1.0 (minimum value) to 5.0 (maximum value), and the average score of the four panelists was calculated.

[0050]

[0051] In the sensory evaluation, the thickness of the middle and latter half of the tasting sample in Test Plot 1, the rich flavor, and the balance were scored as 2.0, 2.0, and 3.0, respectively, and the panelists used a unified evaluation standard to evaluate the tasting samples in Test Plots 2 to 7. Similarly, the thickness of the middle and latter half of the tasting sample in Test Plot 8, the rich flavor, and the balance were scored as 2.0, 2.0, and 3.0, respectively, and the panelists used a unified evaluation standard to evaluate the tasting samples in Test Plots 9 to 14. Furthermore, the thickness of the middle and latter half of the tasting sample in Test Plot 15, the rich flavor, and the balance were scored as 2.0, 2.0, and 3.0, respectively, and the panelists used a unified evaluation standard to evaluate the tasting samples in Test Plots 16 to 20.

[0052] (4) Evaluation Results and Discussion The results are shown in Tables 3 to 5.

[0053]

[0054]

[0055] It was found that when pyrazines are added to a base beverage, the thickness of the middle and latter half of the beverage, the rich taste, and the balance all improve as the concentration increases. It was also found that the presence of at least about 0.5 ppb of one type of pyrazine results in a score of 3.0 or higher for the thickness of the middle and latter half of the beverage, the rich taste, and the balance, resulting in a good flavor. It was also found that the presence of two types of pyrazines in a combined concentration of at least about 1 ppb results in an even better flavor.

Claims

1. A beer-flavored beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less and containing 0.5 ppb or more of 2-methylpyrazine and / or 0.5 ppb or more of 2,6-dimethylpyrazine.

2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the combined content of 2-methylpyrazine and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine is 1 ppb or more.

3. A beer-flavored beverage as described in claim 1 or 2, having a purine concentration of 3.0 mg / 100 mL or less.

4. The beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, which is a beer-flavored fermented malt alcoholic beverage.

5. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 4, having an alcohol concentration of 10.0 v / v % or less.

6. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, the method comprising a step of incorporating 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the produced beverage has a 2-methylpyrazine concentration of 0.5 ppb or more and / or a 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration of 0.5 ppb or more.

7. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage having a purine concentration of 12 mg / 100 mL or less, the method comprising the step of incorporating 2-methylpyrazine and / or 2,6-dimethylpyrazine so that the 2-methylpyrazine concentration of the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more and / or the 2,6-dimethylpyrazine concentration of the produced beverage is 0.5 ppb or more.

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