Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with reduced off-taste

Abstract

Disclosed is a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a methionine content of at least 2 ppm. The off-taste of this non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage is reduced.

Description

A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with reduced unpleasant flavors

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

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages due to health concerns. However, non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages have various flavor and balance issues due to their low alcohol content.

[0003] In the art, various efforts have been made to solve these problems. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the contents of glutamic acid, succinic acid, alanine, and glycine are adjusted to impart thickness to a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage.

[0004] International Publication No. 2020 / 241754

[0005] The present inventors have discovered the problem of unpleasant off-flavors and unpleasant aftertastes in non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

[0006] The present inventors have investigated the above-mentioned problems and found that the unpleasant flavors in non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages can be reduced by adjusting the methionine concentration. The present invention is based on this finding.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a non-alcohol beer-flavored beverage with reduced unpleasant flavors and a method for producing the same.

[0008] The present invention provides the following: (1) A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a methionine content of 2 ppm or more. (2) The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) above, having an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 0.01 v / v%. (3) The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, having a linalool content of 0.1 ppb or more. (4) The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, having a capric acid content of 0.01 ppm or more. (5) The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to (1) or (2) above, having a linalool content of 0.1 ppb or more and a capric acid content of 0.01 ppm or more. (6) A method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage to 2 ppm or more. (7) The method according to (6) above, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.01 v / v%. (8) A method for reducing off-flavors in a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising a step of adjusting the methionine content of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 2 ppm or more. (9) A method for reducing unpleasant aftertastes in a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising a step of adjusting the methionine content of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 2 ppm or more. (10) The method according to (8) or (9) above, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.01 v / v%.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce unpleasant flavors in non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is also possible to reduce unpleasant aftertastes in non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages. Specific Description of the Invention

[0010] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to reduce unpleasant aftertastes and unpleasant flavors in non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages. The present invention is particularly advantageous in that it can reduce unpleasant aftertastes and unpleasant flavors even in non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages with an alcohol content of 0.00 v / v% obtained through a wort fermentation process. In particular, the present invention has been confirmed to reduce unpleasant aftertastes, particularly harshness and astringency, and the effects described in the examples below include such effects. Furthermore, the present invention has been confirmed to reduce unpleasant aftertastes, particularly the unnatural aftertaste felt after drinking a beverage, and the effects described in the examples below include such effects.

[0011] In the present invention, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. "Beer-like flavor" means that the beverage exhibits the unique taste and aroma of beer that can be obtained when beer is produced in the usual way, i.e., when beer is produced based on fermentation using yeast or the like.

[0012] In the present invention, the term "non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage" refers to a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 1% (v / v). According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is less than 0.75% (v / v), more preferably less than 0.5% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.05% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.01% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.009% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.008% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.007% (v / v), and even more preferably It is preferably less than 0.006% (v / v), more preferably less than 0.005% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.004% (v / v), even more preferably less than 0.003% (v / v), and even more preferably less than 0.002% (v / v), and is preferably 0.002% (v / v) or more, more preferably 0.003% (v / v) or more, even more preferably 0.003% (v / v) or more, and even more preferably 0.004% (v / v) or more.

[0013] The alcohol concentration in beverages can be determined by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. For more accurate concentration measurements, it is desirable to use a calibration curve based on measurements of several control samples with known alcohol concentrations. 2-Propanol can also be used as an internal standard.

[0014] In this specification, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg / L", and the unit "ppb" is synonymous with "μg / L".

[0015] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention contains methionine in a predetermined concentration range. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention further contains linalool and / or capric acid in predetermined concentrations.

[0016] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the methionine content during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linalool and / or capric acid content is also adjusted during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention.

[0017] The contents of methionine, linalool, and capric acid may be adjusted, for example, by adding these substances during the production process of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, by increasing or decreasing the raw materials that provide these substances to the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, or by adjusting various conditions during production (e.g., conditions during the brewing process, saccharification process, fermentation process, etc.).

[0018] The lower limit of the methionine content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 2 ppm, preferably 2.5 ppm, more preferably 3 ppm, even more preferably 3.5 ppm, even more preferably 4 ppm, even more preferably 4.5 ppm, even more preferably 5 ppm, even more preferably 5.5 ppm, even more preferably 6 ppm, even more preferably 6.5 ppm, even more preferably 7 ppm, even more preferably 7.5 ppm, even more preferably 8 ppm, even more preferably 8.5 ppm, even more preferably 9 ppm, even more preferably 9.5 ppm, even more preferably 10 ppm, even more preferably 15 ppm, even more preferably 20 ppm, even more preferably 50 ppm. The upper limit of the methionine content is 1000 ppm, preferably 750 ppm, more preferably 500 ppm, even more preferably 250 ppm, even more preferably 100 ppm, even more preferably 75 ppm.

[0019] The methionine content in a beverage can be determined by high performance liquid chromatography, or by separating amino acids using a cation exchange resin, adding a ninhydrin reaction solution, reacting at 135°C, and quantifying the content using a UV-VIS detector. For example, the determination can also be performed using a commercially available amino acid analyzer according to the method described in the Examples below.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linalool content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 0.1 ppb or more, more preferably 0.2 ppb or more, even more preferably 0.5 ppb or more, even more preferably 1 ppb or more, even more preferably 5 ppb or more, even more preferably 10 ppb or more, even more preferably 10 ppb or more, even more preferably 11 ppb or more, even more preferably 12 ppb or more, even more preferably 13 ppb or more, even more preferably 14 ppb or more, even more preferably 15 ppb or more, even more preferably 16 ppb or more, even more preferably 17 ppb or more, even more preferably 18 ppb or more, even more preferably 19 ppb or more, and even more preferably It is set to 20 ppb or more, and is set to 3000 ppb or less, preferably 1000 ppb or less, more preferably 500 ppb or less, even more preferably 300 ppb or less, even more preferably 200 ppb or less, even more preferably 100 ppb or less, even more preferably 50 ppb or less, even more preferably 20 ppb or less, even more preferably 19 ppb or less, even more preferably 18 ppb or less, even more preferably 17 ppb or less, even more preferably 16 ppb or less, even more preferably 15 ppb or less, even more preferably 14 ppb or less, even more preferably 13 ppb or less, even more preferably 12 ppb or less, even more preferably 11 ppb or less, and even more preferably 10 ppb or less.

[0021] The quantification of linalool in beverages can be carried out by methods known to those skilled in the art, for example, GC / MS analysis. In this case, for more accurate concentration measurement, it is desirable to use a calibration curve created based on the measurements of several control samples with known concentrations. This GC / MS analysis can be carried out, for example, as follows. First, the components in the beverage are separated using a C18 solid-phase column, and the resulting analytical sample is subjected to GC / MS. Quantification is carried out by the internal standard method, using borneol as the internal standard substance, and adding it to the analytical sample so that it becomes 25 ppb. For example, the conditions shown in the following examples can be used as GC analysis conditions.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the capric acid content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 0.01 ppm or more, preferably 0.015 ppm or more, more preferably 0.02 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.025 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.03 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.035 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.04 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.045 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.05 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.055 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.06 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.065 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.07 ppm or more, and even more preferably 0.1 ppm or more, and is 10 ppm or less, preferably 5 ppm or less, more preferably 1 ppm or less, and even more preferably 0.5 ppm or less.

[0023] Quantitation of capric acid in beverages can be performed by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage are extracted using a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the resulting extract is subjected to GC / FID. Furthermore, trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate can be used as internal standards. The GC analysis conditions, for example, can be those shown in the Examples. For more accurate concentration measurements, it is desirable to use a calibration curve prepared based on the measurements of several control samples with known concentrations.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carbohydrate content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 0.5 g / 100 mL or more, preferably 1.0 g / 100 mL, and is less than 7.0 g / 100 mL, less than 6.95 g / 100 mL, less than 6.9 g / 100 mL, less than 6.85 g / 100 mL, less than 6.8 g / 100 mL, less than 6.75 g / 100 mL, or less than 6. Less than 7g / 100mL, less than 6.65g / 100mL, less than 6.6g / 100mL, less than 6.55g / 100mL, less than 6.5g / 100mL, less than 6.4g / 100mL, less than 6.3g / 100mL, less than 6.2g / 100mL, less than 6.1g / 100mL, less than 6.0g / 100mL, less than 5.5g / 100mL, less than 5.0g / 100mL.

[0025] The carbohydrate concentration can be measured by known methods, and can be calculated by subtracting the amounts of water, protein, fat, ash, and dietary fiber from the mass of the sample (see the Nutrition Labeling Standards (Partially revised Consumer Affairs Agency Notification No. 9 of December 16, 2009)).

[0026] The extract content can be 0.3°C or higher, preferably 0.5°C or higher, more preferably 1°C or higher, 1.5°C or higher, or 2°C or higher, and can be less than 10°C, less than 9°C, less than 8°C, less than 7°C, less than 6°C, or less than 5°C. The "extract content" can be measured using a commercially available device (for example, an Alcolyzer (manufactured by Anton Paar)).

[0027] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. That is, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can contain, as ingredients, colorants (e.g., caramel color), sweeteners (e.g., high-intensity sweeteners), seasoning components (e.g., amino acids), flavorings (e.g., commercially available beer flavors containing ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, etc., which are typical aroma components of beer), acidulants (e.g., gluconic acid), bitter components such as isomerized hop extract, dietary fiber (e.g., indigestible dextrin), fruit juice, herbs, yeast extract, antioxidants, salts, etc.

[0028] The pH (measured at 25°C) of the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.6 or lower, more preferably 3.7 or higher and 4.6 or lower, even more preferably 3.8 or higher and 4.6 or lower, and most preferably 3.8 or higher and 4.4 or lower. The pH of the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjuster.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage made from malt, more preferably a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage made from barley malt. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage made from ungerminated barley. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage made from wort. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage made from hops. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that is not made from starch. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that is not made from corn. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that is not made from rice. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that does not use flavorings as an ingredient. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage that is substantially free of propylene glycol. Here, "substantially free of propylene glycol" means that the beverage may contain trace amounts of propylene glycol, which may be present in non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages produced via a fermentation process using malt, hops, various enzymes, and yeast, but does not contain propylene glycol in amounts exceeding this. For example, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain propylene glycol below the detection limit or 20 ppm or less. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beverage in which carbon dioxide gas is dissolved, i.e., a non-alcoholic beer-taste carbonated beverage.According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage obtained through a wort fermentation process.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the proportion of barley malt in the raw material malt can be, for example, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 100%.

[0031] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the methionine content at any stage using a common method well known in the art. Examples of such common methods include a method comprising a wort preparation step and a filtration step. This method can be carried out, for example, by sequentially performing the following steps: (a) saccharifying a mixture of malt powder and water and filtering it to obtain wort; (b) adding hops to the obtained wort and then boiling it; (c) cooling the boiled wort; and (d) filtering the cooled wort. Another common method includes a method in which alcohol is removed from a fermented malt beverage such as beer after the beverage has been produced. Methods for removing alcohol from beverages include (i) distillation under reduced pressure or normal pressure to remove alcohol and low-boiling components; (ii) removal of alcohol and low-molecular-weight components using a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane; and (iii) removal of volatile components by adsorption with steam using centrifugal force.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for reducing off-flavors in a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to 2 ppm or more.

[0033] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for reducing aftertaste discord in a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content in the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage to 2 ppm or more.

[0034] The present invention will be specifically described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0035] Example 1: Effect of Adjusting the Concentrations of Methionine, Linalool, and Capric Acid on Flavor in a Non-Alcoholic Beer-Taste Beverage (1) Sample Preparation After producing a fermented malt beverage using malt and hops, the beverage was subjected to an alcohol removal process, and the resulting liquid was used as a base beverage sample. Specifically, ground malt, enzymes, and warm water were added to a brewing tank, and saccharification was carried out at a temperature of 60°C to 78°C. The saccharified liquid was filtered, transferred to a boiling kettle, and hops were added. The mixture was then boiled for 70 minutes. After boiling, the evaporated warm water was added to the resulting mixture, and the heat trough was removed in a whirlpool tank. The mixture was then cooled to 10°C to obtain a cold wort. Brewer's yeast was added to the wort, and the mixture was fermented at around 10°C for 7 days, after which the brewer's yeast was removed. The resulting mixture was transferred to another tank and aged for 7 days, then cooled to around -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The resulting mixture was then diluted with degassed water and filtered to obtain a fermented wort liquor. Next, the mixture was sprayed into a degassing tank to remove carbon dioxide, and then heated to around 50°C. It was then brought into contact with steam heated to around 50°C in a reduced-pressure column at around 60 mbar, causing the volatile components to be adsorbed by the steam, and the alcohol and volatile components were removed, yielding a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquor with an alcohol concentration of 0.0005 v / v%, a carbohydrate concentration of less than 5.0 g / 100 ml, and an extract content of 3.4%. This dealcoholized wort fermentation liquor was used as a base beverage sample.

[0036] Additionally, methionine, linalool, or capric acid was added to the base beverage samples to the concentrations listed in the table below.

[0037] The methionine concentration in each beverage sample in the examples was measured using a high-speed amino acid analyzer LA80 (Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation). Specifically, the beverage sample was filtered through a 0.45 μm filter to obtain a filtrate, which was used as a sample solution for amino acid analysis. The methionine concentration in each beverage sample was calculated from a calibration curve.

[0038] The measurement of the concentration of linalool in each beverage sample in the examples was carried out by GC / MS analysis under the following conditions. Specifically, first, the components in the beverage were separated using a C18 solid phase column, and the resulting analytical sample was subjected to GC / MS. Quantification was carried out by the internal standard method, and borneol was used as the internal standard substance, and was added to the analytical sample to be 25 ppb. The conditions of GC / MS analysis were as shown in the table below.

[0039]

[0040] The capric acid concentration in each beverage in the examples was measured by gas chromatography (GC) with an FID detector. Specifically, the aroma components in the beverage were extracted using a hydroxylated polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer solid-phase column, and the resulting extract was subjected to GC / FID. Trans-2-hexanoic acid and methyl caprylate were used as internal standards. The GC analysis conditions were as shown in the table below.

[0041]

[0042] (2) Sensory Evaluation of Tasting Samples The tasting samples from each test group prepared in (1) above were subjected to sensory evaluation by six trained panelists. A pre-test was also conducted on the panelists to confirm that there were no significant discrepancies in the scores between the panelists. The evaluation criteria for the sensory evaluation were "off-flavor" (the strength of flavors that should be eliminated, such as bitterness and astringency, felt immediately after drinking the beverage), "aftertaste disharmony" (the degree to which an unnatural aftertaste lingers after drinking the beverage), and "balance as a beverage of choice" (the balance of the five tastes and aroma, in addition to the disharmony of off-flavors and aftertaste). The sensory evaluation of "off-flavor" was conducted on a 10-point scale ranging from 1 (strong off-flavor) to 10 (weak off-flavor) in increments of 1. The sensory evaluation of "aftertaste disharmony" was conducted on a 10-point scale ranging from 1 (strong off-flavor) to 10 (weak off-flavor) in increments of 1. In addition, the sensory evaluation of "balance as a beverage of choice" was carried out on a 7-point scale with scores ranging from 1 (poor taste balance) to 7 (good taste balance) in increments of 1.

[0043] In this sensory evaluation, the evaluation score of the blended base beverage sample containing no methionine, 0.01 ppb linalool, and 0.004 ppm capric acid was fixed at 1, and the evaluation score of the beverage sample containing 4.5 ppm methionine, 0.1 ppb linalool, and 0.01 ppm capric acid was fixed at 7.

[0044] (3) Results The results of the sensory evaluation are shown in the table below. The results of the sensory evaluation are shown as the average score and standard deviation of the scores of the six panelists.

[0045]

[0046] From the results of test 1 in Table 3, it is clear that methionine can reduce the unpleasant taste and aftertaste, and it is particularly found that the effect is significant at a concentration of 4.5 ppm or more.Next, from the results of test 2, it is found that, in addition to methionine, if the concentration of linalool is adjusted to 0.1 ppb or more, the effect of reducing the unpleasant taste and aftertaste becomes more significant, and the balance of the beverage as a favorite drink is also improved.In addition, from the results of test 3, it is found that, in addition to methionine, if the concentration of capric acid is adjusted to 0.01 ppm or more, the effect of reducing the unpleasant taste and aftertaste becomes more significant, and the balance of the beverage as a favorite drink is also improved.Furthermore, from the results of test 4, it is found that by adjusting the concentration of the combination of methionine, linalool and capric acid, the unpleasant taste and aftertaste can be further reduced, and the balance of the beverage as a favorite drink is also further improved.

Claims

1. A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with a methionine content of 2 ppm or more.

2. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, having an alcohol (ethanol) concentration of less than 0.01 v / v %.

3. A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage as described in claim 1 or 2, having a linalool content of 0.1 ppb or more.

4. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having a capric acid content of 0.01 ppm or more.

5. A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage as described in claim 1 or 2, having a linalool content of 0.1 ppb or more and a capric acid content of 0.01 ppm or more.

6. A method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage to 2 ppm or more.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.01 v / v %.

8. A method for reducing unpleasant flavors in a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage to 2 ppm or more.

9. A method for reducing aftertaste discordance in a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the methionine content in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage to 2 ppm or more.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the alcohol (ethanol) concentration of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.01 v / v %.

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