Compositions for improving taste

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for improving taste, for example for producing and / or enhancing ethanolic taste of a food product, wherein said composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid, and wherein the weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid to is from 50:1 to 1:150. The invention further pertains to a food product comprising the composition of the invention and use of said composition for improving the taste of a food product. The invention also relates to a method for producing a beverage, preferably a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage.

Description

[0001] KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0002] COMPOSITIONS FOR IMPROVING TASTE

[0003] Field of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to the field of food science and technology, more particularly the field of food and / or beverage technology, even more particularly to field of additive compositions for enhancing the flavour or achieving the flavour of a food product.

[0005] Background

[0006] In the recent years, concerns over consuming alcohol have risen, since, according to the WHO, there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health. Alcohol, the general term which majorly relates to ethanol, is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, based on indication that its consumption is associated with several cancer types in humans. Despite the risk associated with the consumption, alcoholic drinks are favoured for their pleasant, warming taste and mouthfeel. Alcohol is considered as a flavour enhancer which contributes to palatability / appreciation of alcoholic beverages and food consumed therewith. The role of alcohol in food aroma is multifaceted and complex. Firstly, when smelled and / or ingested, alcohol has its own taste and mouthfeel (including a "warming" sensation) through its interaction with nerve cells and olfactory receptors. Second, alcohol interacts with other (aroma) compounds in the beverage or food, for example by changing the physical properties of the food matrix, which causes changes in volatility, solubility, physio-chemical properties and perceived aroma of other aroma compounds present in the matrix or ingested together with the alcohol-containing food.

[0007] There is a need for providing a food product, preferably a beverage that contains low quantities of alcohol or does not contain any alcohol and is therefore safer for a consumer. Preferably said food product is still of favourable organoleptic features, for example the taste of said food product resembles a beverage that contains a higher percentage of alcohol. However, mimicking the multi-faceted organoleptic properties of alcohol in a non-alcoholic and / or low-alcoholic food products, for example beverages, remains a challenge.

[0008] W02009065239 concerns a composition comprising one or more alcohol enhancing polygodial or warbuganal derivatives in a total concentration of 0.25 ppm to 100 ppm, wherein the ethanol is at least l%wt. Polygodial and warburganal are known for their antifungal and insect antifeedant properties and their pungent taste, thus the use of such compounds has various limitations. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0009] WO2013107598 concerns a non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic fermented malt-based beverage having an alcohol content of not more than 1.0 vol. %, and having an aroma profile close to the one of alcoholic lager beers. Said aroma profile is achieved in the beverage which comprises 7.00-30.00 ppm ethyl acetate and 0.01 -0.20 ppm ethyl butyrate, and preferably the esters such as 0.05 -2.00 ppm (iso)amyl acetate; 0.01 -0.1 0 ppm ethyl butyrate; 0.01 -0.05 ppm ethyl hexanoate; and the following higher alcohol: 5.00-30.00 ppm (iso-)amyl alcohol, wherein (iso)amyl alcohol is defined as the sum of 3-methyl butanol and 2-methyl butanol. The compounds disclosed in WO'598 are naturally present in malt-based beverages, thus controlling and / or adjusting the concentration to achieve a desired aroma remains a challenge.

[0010] WO2019038687 concerns alcoholic beverages wherein the alcohol effects and taste are enhanced by provision with a neurotransmitter precursor.

[0011] There is a need for safe and / or broadly applicable and / or economically favourable alternatives for improving the taste of food products, such as non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages. There is also a need for providing a safer and / or more efficient agents for imparting, i.e., mimicking the ethanol aroma in food products.

[0012] Summary

[0013] The present invention aims, in the first place, to provide a flavour improving and / or flavour enhancing composition for use in a food product, for example in an alcoholic, non-alcoholic and / or low alcoholic beverage product. The object of the present invention can be seen as a provision of a composition capable of enhancing or improving the taste of a food product, by, for example, providing or enhancing alcohol i.e. ethanol taste and / or another taste characteristics associated with the presence of alcohol in a food product. According to a first aspect, the invention provides a composition for producing, i.e., mimicking and / or enhancing the taste, preferably mimicking ethanolic taste in a food product, wherein said composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid, and wherein the relative weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid is from 50:1 to 1:150, preferably from 1:1 to 1:50. In other words, the composition according to the first aspect comprises piperine to nicotinic acid in a weight ratio of 50:1 to 1:150, preferably 1:1 to 1:50 with respect to each other.

[0014] Said composition was surprisingly efficient in improving palatability of a food product and / or generating the warm sensation i.e., enhancing the warm mouthfeel during the consumption of said food product. The composition of the invention allows pleasant warmth-generating sensation, which can be associated with the warmth-generating sensation of alcohol consumption. The composition of the invention allows mimicking said alcoholic, i.e. ethanolic taste even in food products which comprise low concentration of KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 alcohol, for example ethanol, or in food products which do not comprise ethanol, i.e., the products which can be considered as alcohol-free. In addition, the invention can also be used to enhance the aroma of a product that contains some alcohol, with the aim to mimic the taste of products that contain even more ethanol. The composition of the invention can generate ethanolic-taste sensation and / or warm mouthfeel sensation upon consumption, which could be described as at least one of the following: a warmth sensation, a full-body taste sensation, an astringent taste sensation, a carbonated taste sensation, a full-body / volume taste sensation, a refreshment taste sensation and the like.

[0015] Said composition can preferably further comprise, for example, at least one alcoholic compound and / or at least one ester.

[0016] In another aspect, the present invention provides a food product, for example a beverage, comprising the composition of the invention. Said composition can mimic, i.e. provide or enhance the mouthfeel of alcohol upon consumption of said food product. The food product can be perceived as the product with alcoholic, i.e. ethanolic taste due to the presence of the composition of the invention therein, even if the product itself does not comprise alcohol.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the food product can be a non-alcoholic or an alcoholic beverage comprising the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect. The food article according to any embodiment, of the present invention aims to provide a food product with enhanced taste / warming sensation, which is associated with alcohol and / or a higher percentage of alcohol. Said food product, for example a beverage such as low-alcoholic beer, may be with a reduced alcohol content, yet without compromising its taste and / or palatable characteristics, thus can represent a safer alternative to alcohol containing foods and beverages with desirable taste and / or palatability.

[0018] In another aspect, the present invention concerns use of the composition for improving the taste of the food. For example, said use can concern producing and / or enhancing ethanolic taste in a food product, preferably a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage.

[0019] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for flavour improving and / or flavour enhancing of a food product comprising the step of adding the composition of the invention to a food product in a concentration sufficient to achieve said flavour improving and / or flavour enhancing of said food product.

[0020] Brief description of the Figures

[0021] The figures described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the figures, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0022] Figure 1. Beers comprising at most 0.5 vol. % alcohol (NA beer) score significantly lower than alcoholic beers (with a content of alcohol ranging 2.5-12.0 vol. % alcohol) in beer appreciation test. Results obtained in beer tasting tests performed by a trained tasting panel. NA beers score significantly lower in appreciation, alcoholic impression and body than the commercially available alcoholic beers. NA beers score significantly lower in appreciation.

[0023] Figure 2. NA beer comprising the composition of the invention according to Example 1 significantly improves the tasting sensation of a non-alcoholic beverage. The evaluation is done for the taste parameters such as alcoholic impression, solvent aroma, body, sweetness, warming, and overall preference. There is no significant difference between the non-alcoholic beer comprising the composition of the invention as disclosed in Example 1 (i.e., the non-alcoholic beer of Example 1, marked as "Treatment" in Fig. 2) and a reference, commercially available beer comprising 5 vol. % alcohol (marked as "5% alcohol"). The "Blank" is the NA beer comprising only the small volume of water, to compensate the volume of the mixture.

[0024] Figure 3A. The sensory profile and score of the non-alcoholic beer (herein further NA beer) comprising the composition as shown in Example 1 (the non alcoholic beer of Example 1 is referred to as "mixture" in the titles of Fig. 3). The addition of the composition according to Example 1 statistically significantly improves the palatability of NA beer of Example 1, in comparison to the commercially available NA beer. The NA beer + composition of Example 1 showed a tasting profile similar to the two samples of alcoholic beers. The panelists were rating the beer body and warming sensation. Numbers indicate p-values for ordinal regression tests, black dots with error bars are the mean of the dataset, gray dots are individual taster's responses, error bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Figure 3B. The results of the beer body and warming sensation evaluated by the panelists, the stars representing the levels of significance based on ordinal regression tests ("*", as used in Fig. 3B means that a p-value is less than 0.05, while "**" means that a p value is less than 0.01). NA beer - commercially available, non-alcoholic beer, NA beer + ethanol - commercially available, non-alcoholic beer supplemented with ethanol, so that the final concentration is 5 vol.% alcohol, NA beer + mixture - commercially available, non-alcoholic beer and the composition of Example 1 added in concentration therein, regular beer - commercially available beer comprising 5.2 vol.% alcohol.

[0025] Figure 4 The sensory profile comparison and score of the non-alcoholic beer (in Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C referred to as "NAB" beer) comprising the composition of invention consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in different ratios and concentrations, compared to the "base", i.e., the same beer comprising no alcohol (Stella 0.0, 0.0 vol % alcohol without the composition of the invention. In the brackets, "n" indicates the number of participants that participated in each one of the tasting experiment. The KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 participants were evaluating the warming, pleasant taste, which is associated to presence of alcohol in beverages. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups. Figure 4A. The different compositions consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid were used in concentrations as indicated on a left side of the each graph, wherein the relative weight ratios of piperine to nicotinic acid with respect to each other are 1:1, 1:1 and 1:5, respectively. Figure 4B shows the results of the tasting experiments of non-alcoholic beer comprising different compositions consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in different weight ratios with respect to each other, namely weight ratios piperine to nicotinic acid being 1:125, 19:32 (i.e., 1:1.7) and 25:1, respectively. The results are obtained by tasting preformed by a group consisting of 12 participants. Figure 4C. shows the result of the tasting of the beer comprising composition consisting of piperine to nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 7:94. In Figs. 4A, 4B and 4C, "*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05.

[0026] Figure 5A. The effect of adding the composition of the invention as described in Example 3 into the nonalcoholic sparkling wine, evaluating the taste characteristics such as alcoholic impression, warming and overall preference by 12 tasters / panelists in comparison to the same non-alcoholic sparkling wine base (Night Orient, marked as "0.0 wine"), as well as to an alcoholic sparkling wine, which alcoholic wine is used as a control (Recoda Semi Secco). All three tested taste elements / aspects (i.e., alcoholic impression, warming and preference) were statistically significantly improved by adding the composition according to Example 3, and the obtained results were comparable or better than the results of the tasting experiments obtained for the alcoholic wine used as control. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05).

[0027] Figure 5B. The effect of adding of the composition of the invention consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in sparkling wine, and comparison of the warming sensations tasted by 9 tasting participants compared to the base sparkling wine only (i.e., the same sparkling wine without the composition according to the invention). The two experiments were conducted with mixtures consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in relative weight ratio piperine to nicotinic acid 1:15 and 3:50 (i.e., 1:16.67), respectively. The samples comprising the composition according to the invention were perceived as more warming than the control, i.e., the same wine without the composition, thereby resembling of the sparkling wine comprising alcohol, in a statistically significant manner. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05).

[0028] Figure 6. The effect of adding the composition consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid to a non-alcoholic gin and (&) tonic (Tanqueray 0.0 % vol. alcohol, Fever Tree Indian Tonic). The tasting was performed by KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 the group of 9 participants, wherein the 0.0 % vol. gin & tonic comprising the composition of invention consisting of piperine to nicotinic acid in relative ratios 1:10 and 3:20, respectively, compared to the same gin & tonic without the composition of the invention. The samples of gin & tonic comprising the composition of the invention (i.e., the compositions consisting of piperine to nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 1:10 or 3:20, respectively) were statistically significantly perceived as a more pleasant, warmth generating and / or alcohol resembling taste compared to a non-alcoholic gin & tonic without the composition of the invention. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05).

[0029] Detailed description

[0030] Definitions

[0031] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain figures, but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. It is to be understood that not necessarily all aspects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes.

[0032] The invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

[0033] Where an indefinite or definite article is used when referring to a singular noun e.g. "a" or "an", "the", this includes a plural of that noun unless something else is specifically stated. Where the term "comprising" is used in the present description and claims, it does not exclude other elements or steps. If the wording "consist of" is used, then no further features are present in the composition / method / product apart from the ones following said wording. Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments, of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0034] The definitions provided herein should not be construed to have a scope less than understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0035] "Higher" or "increased" as used herein refers to at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 100%, at least 1.5 fold, at least 2 fold, at least 3 fold, at least 5 fold or at least 10 fold higher quantity or an effect. In some embodiments, "higher" or "increased" refers to a statistically significant difference. "Predominantly" as used herein, means at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95% of quantity or an effect.

[0036] "Lower" or "decreased" as used herein is defined herein as a statistically significantly decreased, more particularly an at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 100%, at least 1.5 fold, at least 2 fold, at least 3 fold, at least 5 fold or at least 10 fold lower quantity or an effect. In some embodiments, "lower" or "decreased" refers to a statistically significant difference.

[0037] By "low-alcoholic" food product or a beverage, as referred to herein, it is meant a food product and / or a beverage characterized by a lower alcohol content than a regular and / or standard food product and / or a beverage of the same kind. Some non-limiting examples are low-alcoholic beer, low-alcoholic wine, low-alcoholic spirit drink beverage, such as gin, whiskey, tequila, and the like.

[0038] By "low-alcoholic" or "alcohol-free" or "NA beer" or "zero beer", as referred to herein, it is meant a malt based beverage comprising the lower alcohol content than the standard beer. In some embodiments, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 the low-alcoholic beer is, for example, the malt based beverage with less than 5 vol.%, 4 vol.% or 3 vol. % of alcohol. The requirements for low-alcoholic beer may have different definitions depending on the national legislation of the different States. In the context of the present invention, a "low-alcoholic beer" is defined as a beer having an alcohol content of not more than 2.5 vol.%, 2.2 vol.%, or 2.0 vol.%, preferably not more than 1.2 vol.%, most preferably not more than 0.5 vol.% of alcohol. An "alcohol-free beer" in the context of this invention is a beer having an alcohol content of not more than 0.1 vol.%. The present invention concerns both types of beers, jointly referred to in the following as "NA beers", and including beers with even lower alcohol contents of not more than 0.05 vol.%.

[0039] The term "beer body" relates to a multi-dimensional characteristic of flavour and texture of the beer, or, in other words, the fullness of flavour and mouthfeel. Various parameters, such as ethanol, viscosity, density, bitterness, and hop aroma can influence said beer body perception.

[0040] By "low-alcoholic" or "alcohol-free" or "NA" or "zero" wine, as referred to herein, it is meant a wine or wine-based beverage which having the lower alcohol content than the standard wine. Some exemplary embodiments, include sparkling or non-sparkling white, red, rose, or orange wine with an alcohol percent of at most 15.0 vol%, 14.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%,

[0041] 6.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.% 5.5 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol %, 3.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol.%, 2.0 vol. %,

[0042] 1.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 0.5 vol.%, 0.1 vol.% or 0.0 vol.% of alcohol. In some embodiments, the non-alcoholic wine of the invention may be obtainable by dealcoholizing, alcohol filtration, and the like.

[0043] In some embodiments, the "low-alcoholic" or "alcohol-free" or "NA" or "zero" spirit drink or beverage, relates to a spirit and / or a hard liquor beverage having the lower alcohol content than the standard spirit drink or beverage of the same kind. Some non limiting examples of such "low-alcoholic" or "alcohol- free" spirt drinks are gin, vodka, whiskey, bourbon, rum, tequila, brandy, cognac, mescal, liqueurs, and the like, said drinks having less than 40.0 vol.%, 39.0 vol.%, 38.0 vol.%, 37.0 vol.%, 36 vol.%, 35 vol.%, 34 vol.%, 33 vol.%, 32 vol.%, 31 vol.%, 30.0 vol.%, 29.0 vol.%, 28.0 vol.%, 27.0 vol.%, 26.0 vol.%, 25.0 vol.%, 24.0 vol.%, 23.0 vol.%, 22.0 vol.%, 21.0 vol.%, 20.0 vol.%, 19.0 vol.%, 18.0 vol.%, 17.0 vol.%, 16.0 vol.%, 15.0 vol.%, 14.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%,

[0044] 10.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%

[0045] 5.5 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol %, 3.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol.%, 2.0 vol. %, 1.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 0.5 vol.%, or 0.1 vol.% of alcohol. In some embodiments, the non-alcoholic spirit drink of the invention may be obtainable by dealcoholizing, alcohol filtration, and the like processes.

[0046] By "flavour" and "flavouring compounds" it is meant a substance or a compound, or a mixture thereof which can create a specific taste, smell, mouthfeel, and / or sensation upon exposure or a consumption thereof. For example, a "beer-like flavour" means a taste, mouthfeel, aroma and / or sensation profile KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 similar to that of a standard lager beer, comprising 4 - 6 vol.% alcohol. Said flavouring compounds can, without limitation, be present in the food product itself or can be condensed from the vapour phase of the food product.

[0047] Specific flavour, can be achieved by one or more flavour compounds. Alternatively or in combination therewith, individual flavouring compounds, in particular esters, viscosity compounds, and / or higher alcohols, can be added in the desired amounts to the composition comprising piperine and nicotinic acid to modify the flavour of a food product, for example a low-alcoholic beer, wine or spirit beverage.

[0048] The term "sensorial" or "flavour" profile of a food product, as used herein, means the palatable characteristics of the food product which can be detected in the mouth, i.e., by the tongue, which is sensitive to tastes such as sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness, as well as by the nose, which is sensitive to volatile aromas. Since the nasal passage is connected to the throat and tongue, aroma volatile compounds are not only sniffed by the nose directly from the food product but also retro-nasally through the mouth and throat, thus largely contributing to the overall sensorial or flavour profile of the food product. Many components can contribute to the aroma profile, which strongly interact with one another.

[0049] The terms "alcohol" and "alcoholic compound", as interchangeably used herein, refer to an organic compound featuring at least one hydroxyl (-OH) group, bound to a carbon of a branched or nonbranched carbohydrate, alkyl group; which alcohol can be suitable for human consumption. The term preferably encompasses primary, secondary or tertiary alcohols, preferably featuring up to 10 carbon atoms in a molecule. Some non-limiting examples of alcohol suitable for human consumption include ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl butanol, 2-phenylethanol and isoamyl alcohol.

[0050] The term "glycol" as used herein, means an alcohol featuring two hydroxyl groups on adjacent carbon atoms. A non-limiting example of said glycol suitable for food applications is propylene glycol.

[0051] The interchangeably used terms "glycerol", "glycerine" or "glycerin" as used herein, means a propanetriol, a colourless, odourless, viscous liquid that is sweet-tasting and non-toxic compound, with assigned CAS number 56-81-5.

[0052] By the term "non-ethanolic" alcohol, as used herein, means any alcohol which can be suitable for human consumption and it is not ethanol.

[0053] The term "higher alcohol" is used to refer to an alcohol having a molecular weight higher than ethanol. The term "piperine" refers to an alkaloid, naturally occurring, nitrogen containing compound of an molecular formula C17H19NO, which compound is naturally occurring in various pepper species, such as black pepper Piper nigrum and long pepper P. longum, and commercially available under CAS number 94-62-2. The term piperine, as used herein, encompasses three geometrical isomers: chavicine, isochavicine, and isopiperine. In some embodiments, the term piperine can relate to piperanine KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0054] (dihydro- form of piperine). The use of piperine and / or its geometrical isomers and / or derivatives is well documented in humans, as black pepper is commonly used spice.

[0055] The term "nicotinic acid" as used herein, relates to one of the isoforms of vitamin B3, which vitamin B3 is also known as niacin. Vitamin B3 is reported to have three isoforms: nicotinic acid, nicotine amide, and nicotinamide riboside. Nicotinic acid, i.e., a specific isoform of vitamin B3 used in the embodiments of the present invention is available under CAS number 59-67-6.

[0056] The term "ester", as used herein, means a compound featuring an ester group in its structure, i.e. the organic class of compounds obtainable in the reaction between an acid and an alcohol or a saccharide. By term "dextrins", as used herein, it is meant a group of low-molecular-weight carbohydrates produced by the hydrolysis of polysaccharides such as starch and glycogen. Dextrins are mixtures of polymers of D-glucose units linked by ot-( 1— >4) or ot-( 1— >6) glycosidic bonds. Dextrins are common food ingredients, used for viscosity adjustment, crispness and the like purposes in food processing.

[0057] The term "carbonating agents" or "carbonation enhancers" as used herein, refers to any kind of food additive used to provide carbonation, i.e. produce CO2 in a food product. Some of non-limiting examples include carbon dioxide, mineral carbonating agents which involve a chemical reaction between carbon dioxide (CO2) and metal oxides, namely calcium and magnesium, resulting in the formation of carbonates, for example agents comprised of a carbohydrate / metal bicarbonate complex, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate.

[0058] The terms "proteins", "beer proteins" and "peptides", as used herein, mean any beer protein constituents. Some of said proteins, beer proteins or peptides may be in the form of enzymes which act as catalysts that break down components in raw barley and make them process compliant for such operations as lautering and filtration and finally suitable for yeast to metabolize during fermentation. The proteins, beer proteins or peptides thus affect viscosity, beer haze formation, foaming properties, and the like.

[0059] The term "beer haze" means any sort of turbidity in beer and / or all forms of instability in beer in which insoluble material appears. The beer haze is preferably controlled, as clarity may be desired in some types of beer.

[0060] The term "ppm" as used herein, refers to "parts per million (ppm)" for solutions, and for aqueous solutions it equals to mg / L units, i.e., number of milligrams of a substance per IL of a food product or a liquid. The value ppm should be understood as a unit of quantity used in food industry to express the quantity of aroma compounds. In some embodiments, the terms "ppm" and "mg / L" are interchangeably used in the description. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0061] Detailed description of embodiments

[0062] The present invention, according to its first aspect, provides a composition for producing or enhancing taste of a food product, preferably a composition for producing and / or enhancing ethanolic, i.e. alcoholic taste in a food product, wherein said composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid, and preferably wherein the weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid to is from 50:1 to 1:150 with respect to each other, preferably wherein the weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid to is from 1:1 to 1:50, with respect to each other. It has been surprisingly found that addition of piperine and nicotinic acid can provide a warmth sensation and mouthfeel which is associated with alcoholic taste, thus mimic alcoholic taste even in the absence of alcohol in a food product. It has surprisingly been found that by using piperine and nicotinic acid in the above mentioned ratio, the warmth-generating sensation of nicotinic acid can advantageously balance the hot, stimulant taste of piperine, so that the mixture gives spicy, yet pleasantly warming effect, similar to the taste of the ethanol. The composition comprising piperine and nicotinic acid in said ratio allows for multifaceted effect that ethanol exerts on food product aroma. The use of the composition according to the first aspect can enhance palatability and aroma of ingredients of the food product. The composition according to the first aspect comprises piperine and nicotinic acid, said nicotinic acid being a specific isoform of vitamin B3, thereby allowing for a provision of a taste improving and / or enhancing composition comprising naturally-occurring and / or plant based constituents with a well established safety profile and / or well documented use in human food. Thus, the composition according to the first aspect may represent a safe and effective alternative to known compositions used for taste improving and / or enhancing known in the prior art.

[0063] Preferably, said composition of invention further comprises at least one alcoholic compound and / or at least one ester. Further addition of at least one alcoholic compound and / or at least one ester particularly favour warming and / or alcoholic taste impression of the composition of the invention.

[0064] Preferably, the composition for producing or enhancing the taste of a food product further comprises at least one alcoholic compound and / or at least one ester. In a preferred embodiment, said alcoholic compound is chosen from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol (i.e., propan-l-ol), n-butanol (i.e., butan-l-ol), isobutanol (i.e., 2-methylpropan-l-ol), 2-methyl butanol (i.e., 2-methyl-l-butanol), 2- phenylethanol and isoamyl alcohol (i.e., 3-methyl-butan-l-ol). In another preferred embodiment, said alcoholic compound is ethanol.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment said ester is chosen from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, ethyl 2-methyl butyrate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl propionate, isobutyl acetate, isopentyl acetate, octyl acetate, phenethyl acetate. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0066] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, 1:9, 1:10, 1:11, 1:12, 1:13, 1:14, 1:15, 1:16, 1:17, 1:18, 1:19, 1:20, 1:21, 1:22, 1:23, 1:24, 1:25, 1:26, 1:27, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30, 1:31, 1:32, 1:33, 1:34, 1:35, 1:36, 1:37, 1:38, 1:39, 1:40, 1:41, 1:42, 1:43, 1:44, 1:45, 1:46, 1:47, 1:48, 1:49 or 1:50 with respect to each other. In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 1:55, 1:60, 1:65, 1:70, 1:75, 1:80, 1:85, 1:90, 1:95, 1:100, 1:105, 1:110, 1:115, 1:120, 1:125, 1:130, 1:135, 1:140, 1:145, 1:150, 1:155, 1:160, 1:165, 1:170, 1:175, 1:180, 1:185, 1:190, 1:195, or 1:200 with respect to each other. In an embodiment, the composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 50:1, 45:1, 40:1, 35:1, 30:1, 25:1, 24:1, 23:1, 22:1, 21:1, 20:1, 19:1, 18:1, 17:1, 16:1, 15:1, 14:1, 13:1, 12:1, 11:1, 10:1, 9:1, 8:1, 7:1, 6:1, 5:1, 4:1, 3:1 or 2:1 with respect to each other. In an embodiment the composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid in any weight ratio.

[0067] Preferably, said relative weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid, i.e. the weight ratio of piperine and nicotinic acid with respect to each other is in the range from 1:1 to 1:8. In some preferred embodiments, the composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7 or 1:8 with respect to each other. In another preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of piperine and nicotinic acid with respect to each other is any value within the range 1:1 and 1:8. In another preferred embodiment, the weight ratio of piperine and nicotinic acid with respect to each other is 1:1, 1:1.1, 1:1.2, 1:1.3, 1:1.4, 1:1.5, 1:1.6, 1:1.7, 1:1.8, 1:1.9, 1:2, 1:2.1, 1:2.2, 1:2.3, 1:2.4, 1:2.5, 1:2.6, 1:2.7, 1:2.8, 1:2.9, 1:3, 1:3.1, 1:3.2, 1:3.3, 1:3.4, 1:3.5, 1:3.6, 1:3.7, 1:3.8, 1:3.9, 1:4, 1:4.1, 1:4.2, 1:4.3, 1:4.4, 1:4.5, 1:4.6, 1:4.7, 1:4.8, 1:4.9, 1:5, 1:5.1, 1:5.2, 1:5.3, 1:5.4, 1:5.5, 1:5.6, 1:5.7, 1:5.8, 1:5.9, 1:6, 1:6.1, 1:6.2, 1:6.3, 1:6.4, 1:6.5, 1:6.6, 1:6.7, 1:6.8, 1:6.9, 1:7, 1:7.1, 1:7.2, 1:7.3, 1:7.4, 1:7.5, 1:7.6, 1:7.7, 1:7.8, 1:7.9, 1:8. The composition comprising the piperine and nicotinic acid with respect to each other is in the range from 1:1 to 1:8, was found to be surprisingly favourable in order to mimic the alcoholic taste in a food product, in presence or absence of alcohol in said food product. The weight ratio was found to be particularly favourable in food products such as beverages, for example especially in a low-alcoholic, non-alcoholic beer or alcoholic beer.

[0068] In an embodiment, the composition for producing, i.e. mimicking the alcoholic taste in a beverage, comprises piperine and nicotinic acid in a concentration piperine / nicotinic acid ranging from 5:25 and 10:50 mg of piperine and nicotinic acid per litre of beverage, or in concentration piperine to nicotinic acid 5:25, 6:30, 7:35, 8:40, 9:45, or 10:50 mg / mg of piperine to nicotinic acid, respectively, per litre of beverage. Said concentration range provides an optimal balance between the spicy taste and the warmth-generating sensation, and it can be particularly preferred when the alcohol mimicking and / or alcohol enhancing effect is to be exerted in a beverage. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of piperine is at least 1 mg / L of a food product, and nicotinic acid is at least 1 mg / L of a food product.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of the mixture comprising piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio from 1:1 to 1:50 with respect to each other is at least 1 mg / L, 2 mg / L, 3 mg / L, 4 mg / L, 5 mg / L, 6 mg / L, 7 mg / L, 8 mg / L, 9 mg / L, 10 mg / L, 11 mg / L, 12 mg / L, 13 mg / L, 14 mg / L, 15 mg / L, 16 mg / L,

[0071] 17 mg / L, 18 mg / L, 19 mg / L, 20 mg / L, 21 mg / L, 22 mg / L, 23 mg / L, 24 mg / L, 25 mg / L, 26 mg / L, 1 mg / L,

[0072] 28 mg / L, 29 mg / L, 30 mg / L, 31 mg / L, 32 mg / L, 33 mg / L, 34 mg / L, 35 mg / L, 36 mg / L, 37 mg / L, 38 mg / L,

[0073] 39 mg / L, 40 mg / L, 41 mg / L, 42 mg / L, 43 mg / L, 44 mg / L, 45 mg / L, 46 mg / L, 47 mg / L, 48 mg / L, 49 mg / L, or 50 mg / L of a food product.

[0074] In an embodiment, the concentration of the mixture comprising piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio from 1:1 to 1:50 with respect to each other is at most 50 mg / L, 55 mg / L, 60 mg / L, 65 mg / L, 70 mg / L, 75 mg / L, 80 mg / L, 85 mg / L, 90 mg / L, 95 mg / L, 100 mg / L, 105 mg / L, 110 mg / L, 115 mg / L, 120 mg / L, 125 mg / L, 130 mg / L, 135 mg / L, 140 mg / L, 145 mg / L, 150 mg / L, 155 mg / L, 160 mg / L, 165 mg / L, 170 mg / L, 175 mg / L, 180 mg / L, 185 mg / L, 190 mg / L, 195 mg / L, 200 mg / L, 205 mg / L, 210 mg / L, 215 mg / L, 220 mg / L, 225 mg / L, 230 mg / L, 235 mg / L, 240 mg / L, 245 mg / L, 250 mg / L, 255 mg / L, 260 mg / L, 265 mg / L, 270 mg / L, 275 mg / L, 280 mg / L, 285 mg / L, 290 mg / L, 295 mg / L, 300 mg / L, 305 mg / L, 310 mg / L, 315 mg / L, 320 mg / L, 325 mg / L, 330 mg / L, 335 mg / L, 340 mg / L, 345 mg / L, 350 mg / L, 360 mg / L, 365 mg / L, 370 mg / L, 375 mg / L, 380 mg / L, 385 mg / L, 390 mg / L, 395 mg / L, 400 mg / L, 405 mg / L, 410 mg / L, 415 mg / L, 420 mg / L, 425 mg / L, 430 mg / L, 435 mg / L, 440 mg / L, 445 mg / L, 450 mg / L, 455 mg / L, 460 mg / L, 465 mg / L, 470 mg / L, 475 mg / L, 480 mg / L, 485 mg / L, 490 mg / L, 495 mg / L, 500 mg / L, 505 mg / L, 510 mg / L, 515 mg / L, 520 mg / L, 530 mg / L, 535 mg / L, 540 mg / L, 545 mg / L, 550 mg / L, 555 mg / L, 560 mg / L, 565 mg / L, 570 mg / L, 575 mg / L, 580 mg / L, 585 mg / L, 590 mg / L, 595 mg / L, or 600 mg / L of a food product.

[0075] In an embodiment, the concentration of piperine is 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 3 ppm, 4 ppm, 5 ppm, 6 ppm, 7 ppm, 8 ppm, 9 ppm, 10 ppm, 11 ppm, 12 ppm, 13 ppm, 14 ppm, 15 ppm, 16 ppm, 17 ppm, 18 ppm, 19 ppm, 20 ppm, 21 ppm, 22 ppm, 23 ppm, 24 ppm or 25 ppm in a food product. In an embodiment, the concentration of piperine is 30 ppm, 35 ppm, 40 ppm, 45 ppm, 50 ppm, 60 ppm, 65 ppm, 70 ppm, 75 ppm, 80 ppm, 85 ppm, 90 ppm, 95 ppm or 100 ppm in a food product.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of piperine is at least 1 mg / L, 2 mg / L, 3 mg / L, 4 mg / L, 5 mg / L, 6 mg / L, 7 mg / L, 8 mg / L, 9 mg / L, 10 mg / L, 11 mg / L, 12 mg / L, 13 mg / L, 14 mg / L, 15 mg / L, 16 mg / L, 17 mg / L, 18 mg / L, 19 mg / L, 20 mg / L, 21 mg / L, 22 mg / L, 23 mg / L, 24 mg / L, 25 mg / L, 26 mg / L, 1 mg / L,

[0077] 28 mg / L, 29 mg / L, 30 mg / L, 31 mg / L, 32 mg / L, 33 mg / L, 34 mg / L, 35 mg / L, 36 mg / L, 37 mg / L, 38 mg / L,

[0078] 39 mg / L, 40 mg / L, 41 mg / L, 42 mg / L, 43 mg / L, 44 mg / L, 45 mg / L, 46 mg / L, 47 mg / L, 48 mg / L, 49 mg / L,

[0079] 50 mg / L, 51 mg / L, 52 mg / L, 53 mg / L, 54 mg / L, 55 mg / L, 56 mg / L, 57 mg / L, 58 mg / L, 59 mg / L, 60 mg / L,

[0080] 61 mg / L, 62 mg / L, 63 mg / L, 64 mg / L, 65 mg / L, 66 mg / L, 67 mg / L, 68 mg / L, 69 mg / L, 70 mg / L, 71 mg / L, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0081] 72 mg / L, 73 mg / L, 74 mg / L, 75 mg / L, 76 mg / L, 77mg / L, 78 mg / L, 79 mg / L, 80 mg / L, 81 mg / L, 82 mg / L, 83 mg / L, 84 mg / L, 85 mg / L, 86 mg / L, 87 mg / L, 88 mg / L, 89 mg / L, 90 mg / L, 91 mg / L, 92 mg / L, 93 mg / L, 94 mg / L, 95 mg / L, 96 mg / L, 97 mg / L, 98 mg / L, 99 mg / L, 100 mg / L, 101 mg / L, 102 mg / L, 103 mg / L, 104 mg / L, 105 mg / L, 106 mg / L, 107 mg / L, 108 mg / L, 109 mg / L, 110 mg / L, 111 mg / L, 112 mg / L, 113 mg / L, 114 mg / L, 115 mg / L, 116 mg / L, 117 mg / L, 118 mg / L, 119 mg / L, 120 mg / L, 121 mg / L, 122 mg / L, 123 mg / L, 124 mg / L, 125 mg / L, 126 mg / L, 127 mg / L, 128 mg / L, 129 mg / L, 130 mg / L, 131 mg / L, 132 mg / L, 133 mg / L, 134 mg / L, 135 mg / L, 136 mg / L, 137 mg / L, 138 mg / L, 139 mg / L, 140 mg / L, 141 mg / L, 142 mg / L, 143 mg / L, 144 mg / L, 145 mg / L, 146 mg / L, 147 mg / L, 148 mg / L, 149 mg / L, 150 mg / L, 151 mg / L, 152 mg / L, 153 mg / L, 154 mg / L, 155 mg / L, 156 mg / L, 157 mg / L, 158 mg / L, 159 mg / L, 160 mg / L, 161 mg / L, 162 mg / L, 163 mg / L, 164 mg / L, 165 mg / L, 166 mg / L, 167 mg / L, 168 mg / L, 169 mg / L, 170 mg / L, 171 mg / L, 172 mg / L, 173 mg / L, 174 mg / L, 175 mg / L, 176 mg / L, 177 mg / L, 178 mg / L, 179 mg / L, 180 mg / L, 181 mg / L, 182 mg / L, 183 mg / L, 184 mg / L, 185 mg / L, 186 mg / L, 187 mg / L, 188 mg / L, 189 mg / L, 190 mg / L, 191 mg / L, 192 mg / L, 193 mg / L, 194 mg / L, 195 mg / L, 196 mg / L, 197 mg / L, 198 mg / L, 199 mg / L, 200 mg / L, 201 mg / L, 202 mg / L, 203 mg / L, 204 mg / L, 205 mg / L, 206 mg / L, 207 mg / L, 208 mg / L, 209 mg / L, 210 mg / L, 211 mg / L, 212 mg / L, 213 mg / L, 214 mg / L, 215 mg / L, 216 mg / L, 217 mg / L, 218 mg / L, 219 mg / L, 220 mg / L, 221 mg / L, 222 mg / L, 223 mg / L, 224 mg / L, 225 mg / L, 226 mg / L, 227 mg / L, 228 mg / L, 229 mg / L, 230 mg / L, 231 mg / L, 232 mg / L, 233 mg / L, 234 mg / L, 235 mg / L, 236 mg / L, 237 mg / L, 238 mg / L, 239 mg / L, 240 mg / L, 241 mg / L, 242 mg / L, 243 mg / L, 244 mg / L, 245 mg / L, 246 mg / L, 247 mg / L, 248 mg / L, 249 mg / L, 250 mg / L of a food product.

[0082] In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of nicotinic acid is at least 1 mg / L, 2 mg / L, 3 mg / L, 4 mg / L, 5 mg / L, 6 mg / L, 7 mg / L, 8 mg / L, 9 mg / L, 10 mg / L, 11 mg / L, 12 mg / L, 13 mg / L, 14 mg / L, 15 mg / L, 16 mg / L, 17 mg / L, 18 mg / L, 19 mg / L, 20 mg / L, 21 mg / L, 22 mg / L, 23 mg / L, 24 mg / L, 25 mg / L, 26 mg / L, 1 mg / L,

[0083] 28 mg / L, 29 mg / L, 30 mg / L, 31 mg / L, 32 mg / L, 33 mg / L, 34 mg / L, 35 mg / L, 36 mg / L, 37 mg / L, 38 mg / L,

[0084] 39 mg / L, 40 mg / L, 41 mg / L, 42 mg / L, 43 mg / L, 44 mg / L, 45 mg / L, 46 mg / L, 47 mg / L, 48 mg / L, 49 mg / L,

[0085] 50 mg / L, 51 mg / L, 52 mg / L, 53 mg / L, 54 mg / L, 55 mg / L, 56 mg / L, 57 mg / L, 58 mg / L, 59 mg / L, 60 mg / L,

[0086] 61 mg / L, 62 mg / L, 63 mg / L, 64 mg / L, 65 mg / L, 66 mg / L, 67 mg / L, 68 mg / L, 69 mg / L, 70 mg / L, 71 mg / L,

[0087] 72 mg / L, 73 mg / L, 74 mg / L, 75 mg / L, 76 mg / L, 77mg / L, 78 mg / L, 79 mg / L, 80 mg / L, 81 mg / L, 82 mg / L,

[0088] 83 mg / L, 84 mg / L, 85 mg / L, 86 mg / L, 87 mg / L, 88 mg / L, 89 mg / L, 90 mg / L, 91 mg / L, 92 mg / L, 93 mg / L,

[0089] 94 mg / L, 95 mg / L, 96 mg / L, 97 mg / L, 98 mg / L, 99 mg / L, 100 mg / L, 101 mg / L, 102 mg / L, 103 mg / L, 104 mg / L, 105 mg / L, 106 mg / L, 107 mg / L, 108 mg / L, 109 mg / L, 110 mg / L, 111 mg / L, 112 mg / L, 113 mg / L, 114 mg / L, 115 mg / L, 116 mg / L, 117 mg / L, 118 mg / L, 119 mg / L, 120 mg / L, 121 mg / L, 122 mg / L, 123 mg / L, 124 mg / L, 125 mg / L, 126 mg / L, 127 mg / L, 128 mg / L, 129 mg / L, 130 mg / L, 131 mg / L, 132 mg / L, 133 mg / L, 134 mg / L, 135 mg / L, 136 mg / L, 137 mg / L, 138 mg / L, 139 mg / L, 140 mg / L, 141 mg / L, 142 mg / L, 143 mg / L, 144 mg / L, 145 mg / L, 146 mg / L, 147 mg / L, 148 mg / L, 149 mg / L, 150 mg / L, 151 mg / L, 152 mg / L, 153 mg / L, 154 mg / L, 155 mg / L, 156 mg / L, 157 mg / L, 158 mg / L, 159 mg / L, 160 mg / L, 161 mg / L, 162 mg / L, 163 mg / L, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0090] 164 mg / L, 165 mg / L, 166 mg / L, 167 mg / L, 168 mg / L, 169 mg / L, 170 mg / L, 171 mg / L, 172 mg / L, 173 mg / L,

[0091] 174 mg / L, 175 mg / L, 176 mg / L, 177 mg / L, 178 mg / L, 179 mg / L, 180 mg / L, 181 mg / L, 182 mg / L, 183 mg / L,

[0092] 184 mg / L, 185 mg / L, 186 mg / L, 187 mg / L, 188 mg / L, 189 mg / L, 190 mg / L, 191 mg / L, 192 mg / L, 193 mg / L,

[0093] 194 mg / L, 195 mg / L, 196 mg / L, 197 mg / L, 198 mg / L, 199 mg / L, 200 mg / L, 201 mg / L, 202 mg / L, 203 mg / L,

[0094] 204 mg / L, 205 mg / L, 206 mg / L, 207 mg / L, 208 mg / L, 209 mg / L, 210 mg / L, 211 mg / L, 212 mg / L, 213 mg / L,

[0095] 214 mg / L, 215 mg / L, 216 mg / L, 217 mg / L, 218 mg / L, 219 mg / L, 220 mg / L, 221 mg / L, 222 mg / L, 223 mg / L,

[0096] 224 mg / L, 225 mg / L, 226 mg / L, TT1 mg / L, 228 mg / L, 229 mg / L, 230 mg / L, 231 mg / L, 232 mg / L, 233 mg / L,

[0097] 234 mg / L, 235 mg / L, 236 mg / L, 237 mg / L, 238 mg / L, 239 mg / L, 240 mg / L, 241 mg / L, 242 mg / L, 243 mg / L,

[0098] 244 mg / L, 245 mg / L, 246 mg / L, 247 mg / L, 248 mg / L, 249 mg / L, 250 mg / L, 251 mg / L, 252 mg / L, 253 mg / L,

[0099] 254 mg / L, 255 mg / L, 256 mg / L, 257 mg / L, 258 mg / L, 259 mg / L, 260 mg / L, 261 mg / L, 262 mg / L, 263 mg / L,

[0100] 264 mg / L, 265 mg / L, 266 mg / L, 267 mg / L, 268 mg / L, 269 mg / L, 270 mg / L, 271 mg / L, il mg / L, 273 mg / L,

[0101] 274 mg / L, 275 mg / L, 276 mg / L, Til mg / L, 278 mg / L, 279 mg / L, 280 mg / L, 281 mg / L, 282 mg / L, 283 mg / L,

[0102] 284 mg / L, 285 mg / L, 286 mg / L, 287 mg / L, 288 mg / L, 289 mg / L, 290 mg / L, 291 mg / L, 292 mg / L, 293 mg / L,

[0103] 294 mg / L, 295 mg / L, 296 mg / L, 297 mg / L, 298 mg / L, 299 mg / L, 300 mg / L, 301 mg / L, 302 mg / L, 303 mg / L,

[0104] 304 mg / L, 305 mg / L, 306 mg / L, 307 mg / L, 308 mg / L, 309 mg / L, 310 mg / L, 311 mg / L, 312 mg / L, 313 mg / L,

[0105] 314 mg / L, 315 mg / L, 316 mg / L, 317 mg / L, 318 mg / L, 319 mg / L, 320 mg / L, 321 mg / L, 322 mg / L, 323 mg / L,

[0106] 324 mg / L, 325 mg / L, 326 mg / L, 327 mg / L, 328 mg / L, 329 mg / L, 330 mg / L, 331 mg / L, 332 mg / L, 333 mg / L,

[0107] 334 mg / L, 335 mg / L, 336 mg / L, 337 mg / L, 338 mg / L, 339 mg / L, 340 mg / L, 341 mg / L, 342 mg / L, 343 mg / L,

[0108] 344 mg / L, 345 mg / L, 346 mg / L, 347 mg / L, 348 mg / L, 349 mg / L, 350 mg / L, 351 mg / L, 352 mg / L, 353 mg / L,

[0109] 354 mg / L, 355 mg / L, 356 mg / L, 357 mg / L, 358 mg / L, 359 mg / L, 360 mg / L, 361 mg / L, 362 mg / L, 363 mg / L,

[0110] 364 mg / L, 365 mg / L, 366 mg / L, 367 mg / L, 368 mg / L, 369 mg / L, 370 mg / L, 371 mg / L, 372 mg / L, 373 mg / L,

[0111] 374 mg / L, 375 mg / L, 376 mg / L, 377 mg / L, 378 mg / L, 379 mg / L, 380 mg / L, 381 mg / L, 382 mg / L, 383 mg / L,

[0112] 384 mg / L, 385 mg / L, 386 mg / L, 387 mg / L, 388 mg / L, 389 mg / L, 390 mg / L, 391 mg / L, 392 mg / L, 393 mg / L,

[0113] 394 mg / L, 395 mg / L, 396 mg / L, 397 mg / L, 398 mg / L, 399 mg / L, 400 mg / L, 401 mg / L, 402 mg / L, 403 mg / L,

[0114] 404 mg / L, 405 mg / L, 406 mg / L, 407 mg / L, 408 mg / L, 409 mg / L, 410 mg / L, 411 mg / L, 412 mg / L, 413 mg / L,

[0115] 414 mg / L, 415 mg / L, 416 mg / L, 417 mg / L, 418 mg / L, 419 mg / L, 420 mg / L, 421 mg / L, 422 mg / L, 423 mg / L,

[0116] 424 mg / L, 425 mg / L, 426 mg / L, 427 mg / L, 428 mg / L, 429 mg / L, 430 mg / L, 431 mg / L, 432 mg / L, 433 mg / L,

[0117] 434 mg / L, 435 mg / L, 436 mg / L, 437 mg / L, 438 mg / L, 439 mg / L, 440 mg / L, 441 mg / L, 442 mg / L, 443 mg / L,

[0118] 444 mg / L, 445 mg / L, 446 mg / L, 447 mg / L, 448 mg / L, 449 mg / L, 450 mg / L, 451 mg / L, 452 mg / L, 453 mg / L,

[0119] 454 mg / L, 455 mg / L, 456 mg / L, 457 mg / L, 458 mg / L, 459 mg / L, 460 mg / L, 461 mg / L, 462 mg / L, 463 mg / L,

[0120] 464 mg / L, 465 mg / L, 466 mg / L, 467 mg / L, 468 mg / L, 469 mg / L, 470 mg / L, 471 mg / L, 472 mg / L, 473 mg / L,

[0121] 474 mg / L, 475 mg / L, 476 mg / L, 477 mg / L, 478 mg / L, 479 mg / L, 480 mg / L, 481 mg / L, 482 mg / L, 483 mg / L,

[0122] 484 mg / L, 485 mg / L, 486 mg / L, 487 mg / L, 488 mg / L, 489 mg / L, 490 mg / L, 491 mg / L, 492 mg / L, 493 mg / L,

[0123] 494 mg / L, 495 mg / L, 496 mg / L, 497 mg / L, 498 mg / L , 499 mg / L, or 500 mg / L of a food product. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0124] In an embodiment, the concentration of nicotinic acid is 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm, 25 ppm, 30 ppm, 35 ppm, 40 ppm, 45 ppm, 50 ppm, 55 ppm, 60 ppm, 65 ppm, 70 ppm, 75 ppm, 80 ppm, 85 ppm, 90 ppm, 95 ppm, 100 ppm, 105 ppm, 110 ppm, 115 ppm, 120 ppm, 125 ppm, 130 ppm, 135 ppm, 140 ppm, 145 ppm or 150 ppm in a food product

[0125] In a preferred embodiment, the composition can further comprising at least one alcoholic compound, preferably said at least one alcoholic compound being the compound other than ethanol.

[0126] In an embodiment, the composition further comprises at least one alcoholic compound, said compound being n-propanol (i.e., 1-propanol), iso-propanol (i.e., 2-propanol), n-butanol (1-butanol), iso-butanol (2- methyl propane-1) or ethanol.

[0127] Preferably the composition of the invention comprises at least one non-ethanolic alcohol, which non- ethanolic alcohol is suitable for human consumption. Surprisingly, the composition of the invention provides a flavour profile close to alcoholic food product. The composition of the invention is particularly suited for fermented malt based beverages having an alcohol content of not more than 1.2 vol.%, preferably not more than 1.0 vol.%; preferably not more than 0.7 vol.%, and even more preferably not more than 0.5 vol.%. In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention is used in fermented malt based beverages comprising 2.0 vol. %, 2.1 vol.%, 2.2 vol.%, 2.3 vol.%, 2.4 vol.%, 2.5 vol.%, 2.6 vol.%,

[0128] 2.7 vol.%, 2.8 vol.%, 2.9 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 3.1 vol.%, 3.2 vol.%, 3.3 vol.%, 3.4 vol.%, 3.5 vol.%, 3.6 vol.%,

[0129] 3.7 vol.%, 3.8 vol.%, 3.9 vol.%, 4.0 vol.%, 4.1 vol.%, 4.2 vol.%, 4.3 vol.%, 4.4 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.6 vol.%,

[0130] 4.7 vol.%, 4.8 vol.%, 4.9 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 5.1 vol.%, 5.2 vol.%, 5.3 vol.%, 5.4 vol.%, 5.5 vol.%, 5.6 vol.%,

[0131] 5.7 vol.%, 5.8 vol.%, 5.9 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%, 6.1 vol.%, 6.2 vol.%, 6.3 vol.%, 6.4 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 6.6 vol.%,

[0132] 6.7 vol.%, 6.8 vol.%, 6.9 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 7.1 vol.%, 7.2 vol.%, 7.3 vol.%, 7.4 vol.%, 7.5 vol.%, 7.6 vol.%,

[0133] 7.7 vol.%, 7.8 vol.%, 7.9 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 8.1 vol.%, 8.2 vol.%, 8.3 vol.%, 8.4 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 8.6 vol.%,

[0134] 8.7 vol.%, 8.8 vol.%, 8.9 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 9.1 vol.%, 9.2 vol.%, 9.3 vol.%, 9.4 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 9.6 vol.%,

[0135] 9.7 vol.%, 9.8 vol.%, 9.9 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 10.1 vol.%, 10.2 vol.%, 10.3 vol.%, 10.4 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 10.6 vol.%, 10.7 vol.%, 10.8 vol.%, 10.9 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 11.1 vol.%, 11.2 vol.%, 11.3 vol.%, 11.4 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 11.6 vol.%, 11.7 vol.%, 11.8 vol.%, 11.9 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.% or 15.0 vol.% alcohol, for example ethanol.

[0136] In another preferred embodiment, the composition of invention is used in non-fermented beverage, said beverage comprising at most 40.0 vol.%, 39.0 vol.%, 38.0 vol.%, 37.0 vol.%, 36 vol.%, 35 vol.%, 34 vol.%, 33 vol.%, 32 vol.%, 31 vol.%, 30.0 vol.%, 29.0 vol.%, 28.0 vol.%, 27.0 vol.%, 26.0 vol.%, 25.0 vol.%, 24.0 vol.%, 23.0 vol.%, 22.0 vol.%, 21.0 vol.%, 20.0 vol.%, 19.0 vol.%, 18.0 vol.%, 17.0 vol.%, 16.0 vol.%, 15.0 vol.%, 14.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.% 5.5 KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol %, 3.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol.%, 2.0 vol. %, 1.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 0.5 vol.%, or 0.1 vol.% of alcohol, for example ethanol.

[0137] Preferably, said at least one alcoholic compound is chosen from a group consisting of non-ethanolic or higher alcohols, such as propanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl butanol, isoamyl alcohol and phenetyl alcohol. Preferably the concentration of said non-ethanolic alcohol is in the range of 50 - 500 mg (or ppm) of non-ethanolic alcohol per L food product, more preferably to concentration 100 - 250 mg (or ppm) of non-ethanolic alcohol per litre (L) of a food product. It has been surprisingly found that the presence of at least one alcohol, preferably non-ethanolic alcohol contributes to the aroma-enhancing properties of the composition of the invention, for example it enhances the alcoholic taste and mouthfeel, while increasing palatability of other flavour ingredients of a food product. Preferably, said at least one alcohol contributes to the mouth-warming sensation, upon the consumption of a food product, and increases palatability and / or enhances the aroma of a food product containing it.

[0138] In a preferred embodiment the concentration of a non-ethanolic alcohol is 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300,

[0139] 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405,

[0140] 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, or 500 mg per

[0141] L (or ppm) of a food product. In an embodiment, the concentration of at least one non-ethanolic alcohol is at least 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45 mg per L (or ppm) of a food product. In an embodiment, the concentration of said at least one non-ethanolic alcohol is at least 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, or 5000 mg per L (or ppm) of a food product. In an embodiment, the concentration of said at least one non-ethanolic alcohol is at least 0.01, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, 0.60, 0.70, 0.80, 0.90, 1.00, 1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.40, 1.50, 1.60, 1.70, 1.80, 1.90, 2.00, 2.10, 2.20, 2.30, 2.40, 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.90, 3.00, 3.10, 3.20, 3.30, 3.40, 3.50, 3.60, 3.70, 3.80, 3.90, 4.00, 4.10, 4.20, 4.30, 4.40, 4.50, 4.60, 4.70, 4.80, 4.90, or 5.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product. In an embodiment, the concentration of said at least one non-ethanolic alcohol is at least 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,

[0142] 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68,

[0143] 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96,

[0144] 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150,

[0145] 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255,

[0146] 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360,

[0147] 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0148] 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0149] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises n-propanol, i.e. 1-propanol, preferably in the concentration of at least 0.01, 01, 05, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,

[0150] 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47,

[0151] 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75,

[0152] 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102,

[0153] 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175,

[0154] 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280,

[0155] 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385,

[0156] 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490,

[0157] 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0158] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises n-butanol, i.e. 1-butanol, preferably in the concentration of at least 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,

[0159] 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46,

[0160] 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74,

[0161] 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101,

[0162] 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170,

[0163] 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275,

[0164] 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380,

[0165] 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485,

[0166] 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0167] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises isobutanol, herein also referred to as 2- methyl-l-propanol. Preferably, said isobutanol being in the concentration of at least 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,

[0168] 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52,

[0169] 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80,

[0170] 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106,

[0171] 107, 108, 109, 110, 11, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148,

[0172] 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169,

[0173] 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190,

[0174] 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255,

[0175] 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0176] 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0177] In an embodiment, the concentration of the invention comprises isoamyl alcohol, i.e. 3-methylbutan-l- ol. Preferably, said isoamyl alcohol is in the concentration of at least 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29,

[0178] 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,

[0179] 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85,

[0180] 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110,

[0181] 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215,

[0182] 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320,

[0183] 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425,

[0184] 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800,

[0185] 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0186] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises phenethyl alcohol, herein also referred to as 2-phenylethanol. Preferably said phenethyl alcohol is in the concentration of at least 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,

[0187] 24, 25, 26, Tl, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51,

[0188] 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79,

[0189] 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105,

[0190] 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190,

[0191] 195, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295,

[0192] 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400,

[0193] 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550,

[0194] 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0195] Preferably, the composition further comprises at least one ester. Some non-limiting examples of said esters are ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl hexanoate, phenylethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate (3-methylbutyl acetate). Preferably, said at least one ester is present in the concentration range of 0.1 to 100 ppm, preferably 0.1 to 25 ppm in a food product. Preferably, said at least one ester is present in the concentration of at least 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0,

[0196] 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10.0, 10.5, 11.0, 11.5, 12.0, 12.5, 13.0, 13.5, 14.0, 14.5, 15.0, 15.5,

[0197] 16.0, 16.5, 17.0, 17.5, 18.0, 18.5, 19.0, 19.5, 20.0, 20.5, 21.0, 21.5, 22.0, 22.5, 23.0, 23.5, 24.0, 24.5, 25.0,

[0198] 25.5, 26.0, 26.5, 27.0, 27.5, 28.0, 28.5, 29.0, 29.5, 30.0, 30.5, 31.0, 31.5, 32.0, 32.5, 33.0, 33.5, 34.0, 34.5,

[0199] 35.0, 35.5, 36.0, 36.5, 37.0, 37.5, 38.0, 38.5, 39.0, 39.5, 40.0, 41.0, 42.0, 43.0, 44.0, 45.0, 46.0, 47.0, 48.0, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0200] 49.0, 50.0, 51.0, 52.0, 53.0, 54.0, 55.0, 56.0, 57.0, 58.0, 59.0, 60.0, 61.0, 62.0, 63.0, 64.0, 65.0, 66.0, 67.0, 68.0, 69.0, 70.0, 71.0, 72.0, 73.0, 74.0, 75.0, 76.0, 77.0, 78.0, 79.0, 80.0, 81.0, 82.0, 83.0, 84.0, 85.0, 86.0, 87.0, 88.0, 89.0, 90.0, 91.0, 92.0, 93.0, 94.0, 95.0, 96.0, 97.0, 98.0, 99.0, 100.0, 105.0; 110.0, 115.0, 120.0, 125.0, 130.0, 135.0, 140, 145.0, 145.0, 150.0, 160.0, 165.0, 170.0, 175.0, 180.0, 185.0, 190.0, 195.0, or 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300,

[0201] 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405,

[0202] 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600,

[0203] 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product. In an embodiment said at least one ester is present in concentration of at least 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1500 or 2000 ppm in a food product.

[0204] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl acetate, said ethyl acetate preferably being in the concentration of at least 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145,

[0205] 150, 155, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270,

[0206] 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375,

[0207] 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480,

[0208] 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product. In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl acetate in the concentration of at least 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 , 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, or 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410, 415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480, 485, 490, 495, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, or 1000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0209] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl 2-methyl butyrate. Preferably, said ethyl 2-methyl butyrate is in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, or 0.30 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0210] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl decanoate. Preferably said ethyl decanoate is in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0211] 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28,

[0212] 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47,

[0213] 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66,

[0214] 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, or 1.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0215] In come embodiments, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl hexanoate. Preferably, said ethyl hexanoate is in concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28,

[0216] 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47,

[0217] 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66,

[0218] 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, or 1.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0219] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl isovalerate, i.e. ethyl 3- methylbutanoate. Preferably said ethyl isovalerate in concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, or 1.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0220] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl octanoate. Preferably said ethyl octanoate is in concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29,

[0221] 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48,

[0222] 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67,

[0223] 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, 1.25, 1.30, 1.35, 1.40, 1.45, 1.50,

[0224] 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25, 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45,

[0225] 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.90, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00, 7.00, 8.00, 9.00, 10.00 or 15.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0226] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises ethyl propionate. Preferably said ethyl propionate is in concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0227] 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.40, 1.50, 1.60, 1.70, 1.80, 1.90, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, 4.00 or 5.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0228] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises isobutyl acetate, i.e., 2-methylpropyl ethanoate. Preferably, said isobutyl acetate is in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03,

[0229] 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.10, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22,

[0230] 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85,

[0231] 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.40, 1.50, 1.60, 1.70, 1.80, 1.90, 2.00, 2.50, 3.00, 4.00 or 5.00 mg / L (or ppm) in a food product.

[0232] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises isopentyl acetate, i.e., 3-methyl-l- butylethanoate. Preferably, said isopentyl acetate is in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40,

[0233] 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59,

[0234] 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.05, 1.10,

[0235] 1.15, 1.20, 1.25, 1.30, 1.35, 1.40, 1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05,

[0236] 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25, 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45, 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.90, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00, 7.00, 8.00,

[0237] 9.00, 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18.00, 19.00, 20.00, 25.00, 30.00, 35.00, 40.00, 45.00, 50.00, 55.00, 60.00, 65.00, 70.00, 75.00 mg / L (or ppm) in a food product.

[0238] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises octyl acetate, i.e., n-octyl acetate. Preferably said octyl acetate in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44,

[0239] 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63,

[0240] 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, 1.25, 1.30,

[0241] 1.35, 1.40, 1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25,

[0242] 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45, 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.90, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00, 7.00, 8.00, 9.00, or 10.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0243] In an embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises phenethyl acetate, i.e., 2-phenylethyl acetate. Preferably, said 2-phenylethyl acetate is in the concentration of at least 0.0001, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0007, 0.0008, 0.0009, 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004, 0.005, 0.006, 0.007, 0.008, 0.009, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0244] 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16, 0.17, 0.18, 0.19, 0.20, 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24, 0.25, 0.26, 0.27, 0.28, 0.29, 0.30, 0.31, 0.32, 0.33, 0.34, 0.35, 0.36, 0.37, 0.38, 0.39, 0.40, 0.41, 0.42, 0.43, 0.44, 0.45, 0.46, 0.47, 0.48, 0.49, 0.50, 0.51, 0.52, 0.53, 0.54, 0.55, 0.56, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.64, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.68, 0.69, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, 1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, 1.25, 1.30, 1.35, 1.40, 1.45, 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.65, 1.70, 1.75, 1.80, 1.85, 1.90, 1.95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.25, 2.30, 2.35, 2.40, 2.45, 2.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.90, 3.00, 4.00, 5.00, 6.00, 7.00, 8.00, 9.00, or 10.00 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0245] Surprisingly, the addition of higher alcohols and / or esters can yield a major contribution to the aroma of a food product, for example a carbonated beverage such as beer or sparkling wine. In particular, esters such as ethyl esters or acetates, can contribute to alcoholic, sweet, fruity taste, and isoamyl acetate, i.e., 3-methylbutyl acetate contributing to the taste of banana, fruitiness, and the like. 2-methylbutyl acetate, and / or higher alcohols such as (iso)amyl-, alkyl-, phenyl-alcohols, and the like, are particularly important for the aroma perception of a malt based beverage, such as beer or non-fermented and / or carbonated beverage such as sparkling wine. Also, the sensorial or flavour profile of a beverage such as beer is detected by the tongue, which is sensitive to tastes such as sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness, as well as by the nose, which is sensitive to aromas. Since the nasal passage is connected to the throat and tongue, beer aroma volatile compounds are not only sniffed by the nose directly from the headspace above the glass but also through the mouth and throat, thus largely contributing to the overall sensorial or flavour profile of beverages, such as beers. In particular, esters such as ethyl acetates (alcoholic, sweet, and / or fruity) and isoamyl acetate, i.e., 3-methylbutyl acetate (banana, fruitiness), and higher alcohols such as (iso)amyl-, alkyl-, phenyl-alcohols, and the like, are bringing the favoured beerlike aroma profile, to the composition of the invention.

[0246] Preferably the composition of the invention further comprises at least one viscosity adjusting compound. The desired and / or adjusted viscosity achieved by adding a viscosity compound to the composition of the invention contributes to the aroma perception and / or enhancement of aroma of a food product. Preferably, said at least one viscosity adjusting compound is chosen from a group consisting of polysaccharides such as maltodextrins, dextrins, resistant starch, fructans, e.g. inulin, and / or dietary fibers such as beta-glucan, cellulose, arabinoxylan, resistant maltodextrin, xantham gum, guar gum, and / or polyols such as glycerol. Viscosity adjusting agents are particularly favoured in beverage applications, as said ingredients contribute to a pleasant full-bodied mouthfeel. In carbonated beverages, said viscosity adjusting compounds may improve and stabilize the foaming of the beverage. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the composition comprises at least a fibre such as maltodextrin In an embodiment of the invention, the composition comprises at least one polyol, preferably glycerol. Glycerol may contribute to the viscosity and / or mouthfeel characteristics when the composition of the KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 invention is used in a food product. Moreover, glycerol may contribute to sweet, pleasant taste of the composition of the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises glycerol in a concentration of at least 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850, 900, 950, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100,

[0247] 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000, 3100, 3200, 3300, 3400, 3500, 3600, 3700, 3800,

[0248] 3900, 4000, 4100, 4200, 4300, 4400, 4500, 4600, 4700, 4800, 4900, 5000, 5100, 5200, 5300, 5400, 5500,

[0249] 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 6000, 6100, 6200, 6300, 6400, 6500, 6600, 6700, 6800, 6900, 7000, 7500, 8000,

[0250] 8500, 9000, 9500, or 10000 mg / L (or ppm) of a food product.

[0251] Preferably, the composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one sulphur containing compound, for example dimethylsulfide or allyl isothiocyanate. Said sulphur containing compound may contribute to rich volatile aroma of a food product comprising the composition of the invention, preferably said food product being a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage, such as a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beer.

[0252] Preferably, the composition further comprises at least one bitter compound, plant or fungal extract, plant or fungal isolate, protein and / or carbonation enhancer.

[0253] By bitter compound is meant a bitter a compound or extract having bitter organoleptic properties. Some non-limiting examples of bitter compounds are disclosed in WO 2006 / 109241. Some of non-limiting examples of bitter compounds are bitter triterpenes, glucosides of monoterpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, humulone, lupulone, flavonones, and quinines including bitter plant extracts including Quassia extract (also called bitter ash extract, CAS: 84604-10-4, EC: 283-287-7), quinquina extract, chamomile oils, gentian root extract (CAS 72968-42-4, EC: 277-139-0), hops extracts and oils, extracts of the herbal drugs such as: Centaurii herba, Cinchonae cortex, Juniperi frutus, Achillea herba, and artichoke leaves isolate (Cynara scolymus). The composition may comprise dihydrogalangal acetate. The bitter compound may be used in concentration from 1 ppm to 500 ppm, or 5 ppm to 250 ppm, or 10 to 30 ppm in a food product, preferably a low-alcoholic, non-alcoholic or alcoholic beer. It has been surprisingly found that use of a bitter compound in a composition of the invention may contribute to a more fresh aroma, due to reduced sweetness. In carbonated beverages, the bitter compounds may improve the foaming of the beverage.

[0254] In some embodiments, the composition may comprise minty compound such as menthol; menthyl succinate; menthyl lactate; p-menthane-3,8-diol; 8-p-menthen-3-ol; 3-(3'-P-menthanyloxy)-l,2- propanediol; menthone glycerol ketal; 2-(l-methyl-propyl)-l-cyclohexanone; N-ethyl-3-P- menthanecarboxamide; aspartic acid; N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)nonanamide; 5-[5-(l,3- benzodioxol-5-yl)-l-(l-piperidinyl)-2,4-pentadien-l-one; 6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-l,4- dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one; 2-isopropyl-N,2,3-trimethylbutanamide; and 7-isopropyl-4,10-dimethyl- KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 tricyclo[4.4.0.0(1, 5)]decan-4-ol; 3-menthyl-3,6-dioxaheptanoate; 3-menthyl methoxyacetate; 3- menthyl-3,6,9-trioxadecanoate; 3-menthyl-(2-hydroxyethoxy)acetate; menthyl-ll-hydroxy-3,6,9- trioxadecanoate; (3S,5R,6S,9R)-6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-l,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one; (3S,5S,6S,9R)- 6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-l,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one; 2,3-dihydroxypropyl; (IR,2S,5R)-2-isopropyl-5- methylcyclohexane carboxylate; (3S,5R,6S,9R)-6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-l,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one; (3S,5S,6S,9R)-6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-l,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one; (IR,2S,5R)-N-(tert-butyl)-2- isopropyl-5-methyl-cyclohexanecarboxamide.

[0255] In some embodiments, the composition comprises components with a citrus like aroma, contributing to a citrus-like flavour. Some non-limiting examples of said components are limonene, p-myrcene, linalool, a-pinene and valencene.

[0256] In an embodiment, carbonation enhancers, i.e., carbon dioxide, agents including inorganic carbonates or bicarbonates, such as sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate. In another embodiments, carbonation agents include organic carriers of carbon-dioxide, such as hydroxy carboxylic acids or N-carboxy amino acids. Said carbonating enhancers and / or carbonation agents are particularly favored in the food products such as beverages, preferably carbonated beverages, more preferably non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beers. Preferably, said carbonation agents enhance the alcoholic taste in food.

[0257] In an embodiment, proteins may include serpin-like cysteine protease inhibitor, such as protein Z, lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), such as lipid transfer protein 1, storage proteins, such as hordeins and glutelins, trypsin inhibitor Cme precursor, alpha amylase inhibitor, and the like as well as peptide fragments of these proteins. Proteins are particularly favored to be added in the composition of the invention especially for foamy and / or carbonated beverages, such as non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beers. Proteins contribute to foam formation, but also to the specific full body and / or the mouthfeel of the food products. In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention comprises hydrolyzed protein fractions, for example, plant-based or plant-obtained hydrolyzed protein fractions from barley, whey, pea, chickpea, soy and the like. The hydrolyzed proteins are particularly preferred as they could be dissolved and / or suspended in a food product. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention is for the aroma enhancement in a low-alcoholic, non-alcoholic and / or alcoholic beer, wherein the composition comprising the protein hydrolysate contributes to a rich taste and mouthfeel with minimal protein haze or trub formation.

[0258] The composition of the invention may further comprise solvents such as water or ethanol; or fixatives such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, hexylene glycol, glycerin, triethyl citrate, medium-chain fatty acid triglycerides, or medium-chain fatty acid diglycerides. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0259] Some non-limiting examples of plant extracts or isolates include other flavour ingredients such as aromatic herbs and extracts thereof, natural essential oils. For example the plants or plant extracts may include peppermint, chamomile, lemon verbena, rooibos, thyme, basil, rosemary, lemon balm, echinacea, hibiscus, rose hip, rose flower, lavender, yarrow, linden (Tilia sp.), and the like.

[0260] Some non-limiting examples of plant extracts may include fruit extracts such as lemon, apple, pear, orange, melon, nectarine, peach, apricot, lime, mandarin, orange, pomelo, pomegranate, grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, fig, coconut, kiwi, and the like fruit extracts.

[0261] Some non-limiting examples may include spices, such as pepper, oregano, chilli pepper, celery, carrot, parsley, coriander, cinnamon, cardamon, clove, muscat note and the like.

[0262] Some fungal extracts may involve fungal peptidoglycans, fungal polysaccharides such as beta-glucans, medicinal mushroom extracts of Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Trametes versicolor or Coriolus versicolor (turkey tail), Lentinus edodes (shiitake), and Grifola frondosa (maitake), and the like.

[0263] In a preferred embodiment, the composition comprises at least six-components, wherein said composition comprises at least one alcoholic compound, at least one viscosity adjusting compounds, at least one ester, and / or at least one sulphur containing compound. The composition of the invention comprising said at least six components is particularly advantageous in providing aroma enhancement, in particular the multi-faceted effect that ethanol exerts on food product aroma. For example, in food products such as malt-based beverages, and / or beer, the composition of invention allows for improved palatability, spiciness and warmth sensation, while having positive impact on beverage body, i.e., viscosity and / or texture characteristics.

[0264] The composition of the invention according to any embodiment of the first aspect can enhance the "taste", in particular the taste of the alcohol present in the food product, but also can mimic the alcohol taste in the absence of any alcohol in the food product. The composition is easy for application in the industrial set-up and easy for quantification in the final food products. The composition is suitable for various food applications, in solid, semi-solid and liquid food products. The components of the composition are available in food-grade qualities, and / or are with recorded or well-established use in the food industry.

[0265] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a food product which comprises the composition according to any above-described embodiment of the first aspect.

[0266] In some embodiments, said food product is a chocolate- or fruit- based dessert, such as jams, cakes, pralines, creams, such as ice cream, ice milk, sorbet, yogurt, pudding, jelly, dairy dessert; confectioneries such as caramel, candy, tablet, cracker, biscuit, cookie, pie, chocolate, snack, and chewing gum. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0267] In a preferred embodiment, said food product is a beverage, for example, beverages such as carbonated beverages, soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, milk beverages, lactic acid bacteria beverages, energy drinks, soy milk, and tea drinks; mocktails, juices mixed with soda water, cocktail drinks, sparkling liquor, fruit wine, alcoholic beverage or beverage for medical purposes. Preferably said food product is beverage, such as mocktail and / or non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic beer or alcoholic beer. In a preferred embodiment, said beer can be an alcoholic beer with the alcohol content of more than 5.0 vol.%. In another preferred embodiment, the food product is an alcoholic or non-alcoholic wine or cider, or alcoholic or nonalcoholic spirit drink, i.e., distilled beverage.

[0268] In a preferred embodiment said food product is a beverage, preferably a beverage which is a nonalcoholic or low-alcoholic beverage, preferably the beverage comprising less than 5.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol.%, 3.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol%, 2.0 vol.%, 1.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 0.5 vol.% or 0.1 vol.% alcohol. In a particular embodiment, the beverage is characterized by the total alcoholic content of at most 1.2 vol.% alcohol. The composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect is particularly preferred in manufacturing and preparation of non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic beverages, as it can provide a beverage with pleasing, warmth generating, alcohol-mimicking sensation, even in cases where the overall content of alcohol is low, preferably lower than 5.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol.%, 3.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol%, 2.0 vol.%, 1.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 0.5 vol.% or 0.1 vol.% alcohol, or in case the beverage does not comprise alcohol at all. The beverage may be suited for a broad range of consumers, by provision of drink with reduced alcohol content and still alcohol-like, warm taste.

[0269] In another embodiment, said food product is a beverage comprising at least 5.0 vol.%, 5.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol%, 8.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 14.5 vol.%, 15.0 vol.%, 15.5 vol.%, 16.0 vol.%, 16.5 vol.%, 17.0 vol.%, 17.5 vol.%, 18.0 vol.%, 18.5 vol.%, 19.0 vol.%, 19.5 vol.%, 20.0 vol.%, 20.5 vol.%, 21.0 vol.%, 21.5 vol%, 22.0 vol.%, 22.5 vol.%, 23.0 vol.%, 23.5 vol.%, 24.0 vol%, 24.5 vol.% or 25.0 vol.% alcohol. In an embodiment, the beverage can have the alcohol content higher than the above mentioned without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0270] In a preferred embodiment the food product is a low-alcoholic beer. The present invention proposes an alcohol free or low alcohol fermented malt based beverage having an aroma profile, and overall sensorial profile; close, identical or better than taste profiles typical of alcoholic lager beers.

[0271] In another preferred embodiment, the food product is an alcoholic beer comprising at least 5.0 vol.%,

[0272] 5.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol%, 8.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%,

[0273] 10.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.% of alcohol. The composition of the invention enhances the alcoholic aroma present therein, thereby making said alcoholic beer taste "stronger" in alcohol and aroma, resembling of trappist, "dubbel", "triple", "quadruple", stout, pale ale, lager, specialty, IPA, 1 KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 brown ale, amber beer, wheat beer, sour ale or porter beers, which can be characterized by a full body taste and / or richness and typically comprise more than 5.0 vol.% alcohol.

[0274] The non-alcoholic beer or low-alcoholic beer can be obtained for example, by incomplete fermentation during the biological procedure, i.e., by interrupting fermentation when the desired alcoholic content is reached. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation takes place at particularly low temperatures, the method used is called the yeast cold- contact process. Some non-limiting examples of methods to obtain a non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic beer may include physical methods, such as dealcoholisation, for example by thin film evaporation, vacuum distillation or reverse osmosis. While having a low alcohol content, or no alcohol at all, said beers can be usually rated as having thin / low body and no warming effect achieved upon consumption. The composition of the invention is suited to be incorporated to said beers obtained by the interrupted fermentation at a desired alcoholic content and / or physical dealcoholisation, as said beers can receive a high fraction of non-fermented residual extracts which contribute to sweet, worty character as well as a light body which is advantageously balanced by the warmth-generating, alcohol providing taste of the composition of the invention.

[0275] In a preferred embodiment, the food product contains a carbonation agent, preferably carbon dioxide for example CO2 gas, which in some embodiments allows enhancing the taste of the food product, for example a beverage of the invention. Said adding of an even better alcoholic feeling.

[0276] The carbonation can also balance out some of the sweetness, particularly in a food product comprising dextrins and / or glycerol.

[0277] In a preferred embodiment, non-alcoholic beer or low-alcoholic beer are obtainable by use of non- conventional brewing yeasts, for example maltose-negative yeast strains. The product obtainable from maltose-negative yeast strains comprising the composition of the invention is of increased palatability, with pronounced warmth generating, alcohol mimicking taste; which contrasts the similar products on the market, which are considered to be neutral and mild in aromas.

[0278] In an embodiment, utilisation of glycerol or other alternative carbon sources is preferred to obtain the carbonated beverage, preferably a non-alcoholic, low alcoholic or alcoholic beer.

[0279] In an embodiment, the food product is a wine, such as white, red, rose, sparkling and / or fortified, i.e., dessert wine, said wine preferably comprising at least 0.1 vol.%; 0.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 1.5 vol.%, 2.0 vol.%,

[0280] 2.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 3.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 5.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%,

[0281] 7.5 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%, 11.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 14.5 vol.%, 15.0 vol.%, or higher amount of alcohol. It has been surprisingly found that the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect may enhance, i.e. improve the taste of the wine having the lower amount of alcohol, so that it resembles of KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 wine with much higher alcohol content, with respect to volatile aroma and / or taste profiles, full-body characteristics, specific mouthfeel, texture and viscosity and / or the like characteristics.

[0282] In an embodiment, the food product is a distilled, i.e., spirit beverage, such as whisky, rum, brandy, gin, vodka, tequila, liqueur, which beverage preferably comprises at least 0.1 vol.%; 0.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, 1.5 vol.%, 2.0 vol.%, 2.5 vol.%, 3.0 vol.%, 3.5 vol.%, 4.0 vol.%, 4.5 vol.%, 5.0 vol.%, 5.5 vol.%, 6.0 vol.%, 6.5 vol.%, 7.0 vol.%, 7.5 vol.%, 8.0 vol.%, 8.5 vol.%, 9.0 vol.%, 9.5 vol.%, 10.0 vol.%, 10.5 vol.%, 11.0 vol.%,

[0283] 11.5 vol.%, 12.0 vol.%, 12.5 vol.%, 13.0 vol.%, 13.5 vol.%, 14.0 vol.%, 14.5 vol.%, 15.0 vol.%, 15.5 vol.%, 16.0 vol.%, 16.5 vol.%, 17.0 vol.%, 17.5 vol.%, 18.0 vol.%, 18.5 vol.%, 19.0 vol.%, 19.5 vol.%, 20.0 vol.%,

[0284] 20.5 vol.%, 21.0 vol.%, 21.5 vol.%, 22.0 vol.%, 22.5 vol.%, 23.0 vol%, 23.5 vol.%, 24.0 vol.%, 24.5 vol%, 25.0 vol.%, 26.0 vol.%, 26.5 vol.%, 27.0 vol.%, 27.5 vol.%, 28.0 vol.%, 28.5 vol.%, 29.0 vol%, 29.5 vol%, 30.0 vol%, 30.5 vol%, 31.0 vol.%, 31.5 vol.%, 32.0 vol.%, 32.5 vol.%, 33.0 vol.%, 33.5 vol.%, 34.0 vol.%,

[0285] 34.5 vol.%, 35.0 vol.%, 35.5 vol.%, 36.0 vol.%, 36.5 vol.%, 37.0 vol.%, 37.5 vol.%, 38.0 vol.%, 38.5 vol.%, 39.0 vol.%, 39.5 vol.%, or 40.0 vol.% of alcohol content. The composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect can enhance the alcoholic taste, by producing warmth sensation and spiciness. The composition according to the first aspect can increase palatability, detection and / or appreciation of volatile aroma's and / or specific taste of the distilled beverage, preferably allowing said beverage to taste more "alcoholic" than its actual alcohol content would allow.

[0286] The amount of the composition according to any of the embodiments of the first aspect added to a food product, preferably the non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage depends on the type or form of the product, and may be preferably 0.001 mas.% to 10 mass%, and more preferably 0.01 mass% to 5 mass%, most preferably 0.5-2.5 mas.% calculated based on the mass of the a food product, preferably the non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage.

[0287] In a preferred embodiment, a food product, preferably the non-alcoholic, or low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage comprises the composition according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect in concentration of at least 1 mg / L, 2 mg / L, 3 mg / L, 4 mg / L, 5 mg / L, 6 mg / L, 7 mg / L, 8 mg / L, 9 mg / L, 10 mg / L, 11 mg / L, 12 mg / L, 13 mg / L, 14 mg / L, 15 mg / L, 16 mg / L, 17 mg / L, 18 mg / L, 19 mg / L, 20 mg / L, 21 mg / L, 22 mg / L, 23 mg / L, 24 mg / L, 25 mg / L, 26 mg / L, 1 mg / L, 28 mg / L, 29 mg / L, 30 mg / L, 31 mg / L, 32 mg / L, 33 mg / L, 34 mg / L, 35 mg / L, 36 mg / L, 37 mg / L, 38 mg / L, 39 mg / L, 40 mg / L, 41 mg / L, 42 mg / L, 43 mg / L, 44 mg / L, 45 mg / L, 46 mg / L, 47 mg / L, 48 mg / L, 49 mg / L, 50 mg / L, 51 mg / L, 52 mg / L, 53 mg / L, 54 mg / L, 55 mg / L, 56 mg / L, 57 mg / L, 58 mg / L, 59 mg / L, 60 mg / L, 61 mg / L, 62 mg / L, 63 mg / L, 64 mg / L, 65 mg / L, 66 mg / L, 67 mg / L, 68 mg / L, 69 mg / L, 70 mg / L, 71 mg / L, 72 mg / L, 73 mg / L, 74 mg / L, 75 mg / L, 76 mg / L, 77mg / L, 78 mg / L, 79 mg / L, 80 mg / L, 81 mg / L, 82 mg / L, 83 mg / L, 84 mg / L, 85 mg / L, 86 mg / L, 87 mg / L, 88 mg / L, 89 mg / L, 90 mg / L, 91 mg / L, 92 mg / L, 93 mg / L, 94 mg / L, 95 mg / L, 96 mg / L, 97 mg / L, 98 mg / L, 99 mg / L, 100 mg / L, 101 mg / L, 102 mg / L, 103 mg / L, 104 mg / L, 105 mg / L, 106 mg / L, 107 mg / L, 108 KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 mg / L, 109 mg / L, 110 mg / L, 111 mg / L, 112 mg / L, 113 mg / L, 114 mg / L, 115 mg / L, 116 mg / L, 117 mg / L

[0288] 118 mg / L, 119 mg / L, 120 mg / L, 121 mg / L, 122 mg / L, 123 mg / L, 124 mg / L, 125 mg / L, 126 mg / L, 127 mg / L

[0289] 128 mg / L, 129 mg / L, 130 mg / L, 131 mg / L, 132 mg / L, 133 mg / L, 134 mg / L, 135 mg / L, 136 mg / L, 137 mg / L, 138 mg / L, 139 mg / L, 140 mg / L, 141 mg / L, 142 mg / L, 143 mg / L, 144 mg / L, 145 mg / L, 146 mg / L, 147 mg / L, 148 mg / L, 149 mg / L, 150 mg / L, 151 mg / L, 152 mg / L, 153 mg / L, 154 mg / L, 155 mg / L, 156 mg / L, 157 mg / L, 158 mg / L, 159 mg / L, 160 mg / L, 161 mg / L, 162 mg / L, 163 mg / L, 164 mg / L, 165 mg / L, 166 mg / L, 167 mg / L, 168 mg / L, 169 mg / L, 170 mg / L, 171 mg / L, 172 mg / L, 173 mg / L, 174 mg / L, 175 mg / L, 176 mg / L, 177 mg / L, 178 mg / L, 179 mg / L, 180 mg / L, 181 mg / L, 182 mg / L, 183 mg / L, 184 mg / L, 185 mg / L, 186 mg / L, 187 mg / L, 188 mg / L, 189 mg / L, 190 mg / L, 191 mg / L, 192 mg / L, 193 mg / L, 194 mg / L, 195 mg / L, 196 mg / L, 197 mg / L, 198 mg / L, 199 mg / L, 200 mg / L, 201 mg / L, 202 mg / L, 203 mg / L, 204 mg / L, 205 mg / L, 206 mg / L, 207 mg / L, 208 mg / L, 209 mg / L, 210 mg / L, 211 mg / L, 212 mg / L, 213 mg / L, 214 mg / L, 215 mg / L, 216 mg / L, 217 mg / L, 218 mg / L, 219 mg / L, 220 mg / L, 221 mg / L, 222 mg / L, 223 mg / L, 224 mg / L, 225 mg / L, 226 mg / L, TT1 mg / L, 228 mg / L, 229 mg / L, 230 mg / L, 231 mg / L, 232 mg / L, 233 mg / L, 234 mg / L, 235 mg / L, 236 mg / L, 237 mg / L, 238 mg / L, 239 mg / L, 240 mg / L, 241 mg / L, 242 mg / L, 243 mg / L, 244 mg / L, 245 mg / L, 246 mg / L, 247 mg / L, 248 mg / L, 249 mg / L, 250 mg / L, 251 mg / L, 252 mg / L, 253 mg / L, 254 mg / L, 255 mg / L, 256 mg / L, 257 mg / L, 258 mg / L, 259 mg / L, 260 mg / L, 261 mg / L, 262 mg / L, 263 mg / L, 264 mg / L, 265 mg / L, 266 mg / L, 267 mg / L, 268 mg / L, 269 mg / L, 270 mg / L, 271 mg / L, il mg / L, 273 mg / L, 274 mg / L, 275 mg / L, 276 mg / L, Til mg / L, 278 mg / L, 279 mg / L, 280 mg / L, 281 mg / L, 282 mg / L, 283 mg / L, 284 mg / L, 285 mg / L, 286 mg / L, 287 mg / L, 288 mg / L, 289 mg / L, 290 mg / L, 291 mg / L, 292 mg / L, 293 mg / L, 294 mg / L, 295 mg / L, 296 mg / L, 297 mg / L, 298 mg / L, 299 mg / L, 300 mg / L, 301 mg / L, 302 mg / L, 303 mg / L, 304 mg / L, 305 mg / L, 306 mg / L, 307 mg / L, 308 mg / L, 309 mg / L, 310 mg / L, 311 mg / L, 312 mg / L, 313 mg / L, 314 mg / L, 315 mg / L, 316 mg / L, 317 mg / L, 318 mg / L, 319 mg / L, 320 mg / L, 321 mg / L, 322 mg / L, 323 mg / L, 324 mg / L, 325 mg / L, 326 mg / L, 327 mg / L, 328 mg / L, 329 mg / L, 330 mg / L, 331 mg / L, 332 mg / L, 333 mg / L, 334 mg / L, 335 mg / L, 336 mg / L, 337 mg / L, 338 mg / L, 339 mg / L, 340 mg / L, 341 mg / L, 342 mg / L, 343 mg / L, 344 mg / L, 345 mg / L, 346 mg / L, 347 mg / L, 348 mg / L, 349 mg / L, 350 mg / L, 351 mg / L, 352 mg / L, 353 mg / L, 354 mg / L, 355 mg / L, 356 mg / L, 357 mg / L, 358 mg / L, 359 mg / L, 360 mg / L, 361 mg / L, 362 mg / L, 363 mg / L, 364 mg / L, 365 mg / L, 366 mg / L, 367 mg / L, 368 mg / L, 369 mg / L, 370 mg / L, 371 mg / L, 372 mg / L, 373 mg / L, 374 mg / L, 375 mg / L, 376 mg / L, 377 mg / L, 378 mg / L, 379 mg / L, 380 mg / L, 381 mg / L, 382 mg / L, 383 mg / L, 384 mg / L, 385 mg / L, 386 mg / L, 387 mg / L, 388 mg / L, 389 mg / L, 390 mg / L, 391 mg / L, 392 mg / L, 393 mg / L, 394 mg / L, 395 mg / L, 396 mg / L, 397 mg / L, 398 mg / L, 399 mg / L, 400 mg / L, 401 mg / L, 402 mg / L, 403 mg / L, 404 mg / L, 405 mg / L, 406 mg / L, 407 mg / L, 408 mg / L, 409 mg / L, 410 mg / L, 411 mg / L, 412 mg / L, 413 mg / L, 414 mg / L, 415 mg / L, 416 mg / L, 417 mg / L, 418 mg / L, 419 mg / L, 420 mg / L, 421 mg / L, 422 mg / L, 423 mg / L, 424 mg / L, 425 mg / L, 426 mg / L, 427 mg / L, 428 mg / L, 429 mg / L, 430 mg / L, 431 mg / L, 432 mg / L, 433 mg / L, 434 mg / L, 435 mg / L, 436 mg / L, 437 mg / L, 438 mg / L, 439 mg / L, 440 mg / L, 441 mg / L, 442 mg / L, 443 mg / L, 444 mg / L, 445 mg / L, 446 mg / L, 447 mg / L, KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0290] 448 mg / L, 449 mg / L, 450 mg / L, 451 mg / L, 452 mg / L, 453 mg / L, 454 mg / L, 455 mg / L, 456 mg / L, 457 mg / L,

[0291] 458 mg / L, 459 mg / L, 460 mg / L, 461 mg / L, 462 mg / L, 463 mg / L, 464 mg / L, 465 mg / L, 466 mg / L, 467 mg / L,

[0292] 468 mg / L, 469 mg / L, 470 mg / L, 471 mg / L, 472 mg / L, 473 mg / L, 474 mg / L, 475 mg / L, 476 mg / L, 477 mg / L,

[0293] 478 mg / L, 479 mg / L, 480 mg / L, 481 mg / L, 482 mg / L, 483 mg / L, 484 mg / L, 485 mg / L, 486 mg / L, 487 mg / L,

[0294] 488 mg / L, 489 mg / L, 490 mg / L, 491 mg / L, 492 mg / L, 493 mg / L, 494 mg / L, 495 mg / L, 496 mg / L, 497 mg / L,

[0295] 498 mg / L, 499 mg / L, or 500 mg / L of said food product.

[0296] In another aspect, the inventions relate to use of the composition according to any one of the above- mentioned embodiments of the first aspect for improving the taste of the food product. The composition of the invention is particularly suited for adjustment and enhancement of the aroma and / or taste of a liquid food product, particularly non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages.

[0297] In a preferred embodiment, the composition of the invention according to any above mentioned embodiment of the first aspect is used in a method for improving the taste in non-alcoholic, low alcoholic or alcoholic beer.

[0298] In a third independent aspect, the present invention also concerns a method for producing a beverage, preferably a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage, the method comprising the steps of:

[0299] • Providing a non-alcoholic, low alcoholic or alcoholic beverage;

[0300] • Providing the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect of the invention,; and

[0301] • Adding the composition into the beverage preferably until the piperine is present in the concentration corresponding to 1 to 30 ppm, more preferably 1 to 25 ppm, and preferably until nicotinic acid is present in the concentration of 1 to 500 ppm, preferably 1 to 125 ppm.

[0302] It should be understood by a skilled person that step of adding the composition into the beverage is done until the concentration of piperine is preferably 1 to 30, more preferably 1 to 25 mg of piperine per L of said beverage; and preferably until the concentration of nicotinic acid is in concentration of 1 to 500 mg per L, more preferably until the concentration of nicotinic acid is 1 to 125 mg per L of said beverage.

[0303] The method of the invention is particularly suitable for preparing a malt based beverage having an alcohol content of not more than 1.2 vol.%, preferably not more than 1.0 vol.%, preferably not more than 0.7 vol.%. The method allows precise tuning of the taste / palatable properties of the beverage, which is determined by the composition which is added to the beverage base.

[0304] Preferably, the method includes the step of adding the non-ethanolic, higher alcohols, preferably the non-ethanolic alcohols such as n-propanol, isobutanol, n-butanol, 2-methyl butanol, isoamyl alcohol, preferably in concentration of 50 - 500 mg of non-ethanolic alcohol per L beverage, more preferably to KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 concentration 100-250 mg of non-ethanolic alcohol per litre (L) beverage. In some embodiments, said method includes the step of adding alcohol such as ethanol.

[0305] Preferably the method comprises a step of adding esters such as, but not limited to, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, phenylethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate ( i.e., 3-methylbutyl acetate, in the beverage, until the concentration is in the range 0.1 to 100 ppm of the esters, preferably 0.1 to 25 mg of the esters per L beverage.

[0306] Preferably, the method may have the step of adjusting the concentration of sulphite containing compounds, for example dimethyl sulfide, to a concentration of 0.005 - 0.05 mg per L of the beverage. Preferably, the method includes the step of adjusting the "body" of the non-alcoholic beverage, to fulfil the palatability requirements, said step comprising adding glycerol and / or dextrins in concentration 1000 - 150000 mg, preferably 10000 - 100000 mg of glycerol and / or dextrins per L of the beverage.

[0307] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for flavour improving and / or flavour enhancing of a food product comprising the step of adding the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect to a food product in a concentration sufficient to achieve said flavour improving and / or flavour enhancing of a food product. In a preferred embodiment, the step of adding the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect to a food product includes imparting a warmth generating and / or alcohol-mimicking aroma to said food product by taste characteristic of the composition according to any embodiment of the first aspect, preferably upon, consumption of said food product.

[0308] The following non-limiting Examples describe methods and means according to the invention. Unless stated otherwise in the Examples, all techniques are carried out according to protocols standard in the art. The following examples are included to illustrate embodiments of the invention. Those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent that certain chemical analogues and / or derivatives of the compounds may be substituted for the agents described herein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0309] EXAMPLES

[0310] Example 1: Taste improvement in non-alcoholic and low alcoholic beer. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0311] To a sample of commercially available, low alcoholic beer (Stella 0.0, AB InBev, herein further referred to as "NA beer") comprising 0.0 vol.% alcohol, the composition showed in table 1 was added. The concentrations shown in table are mg of the individual compound per L of the NA beer. Said beer comprising the commercial NA beer and the composition of the invention in concentrations shown in Table 1 is further referred to as the non-alcoholic (NA) beer of Example 1.

[0312] Table 1. A preferred embodiment of the composition of the invention used in a non-alcoholic beer:

[0313] It has been surprisingly found that use of nicotinic acid (one of the isoforms of niacin, i.e., vitamin B3) and piperine leads to a pleasant, warming effect, which enhances the aroma of the whole food product, for example non-alcoholic or a low alcoholic beer. These flavour compounds could be perceived as mimicking the taste and effects of ethanol in various aroma levels.

[0314] Preferably, piperine and nicotinic acid are to be used in combination, preferably with other constituents such as alcoholic compound and / or ester to achieve the pleasant warming and / or aroma enhancing taste and mouthfeel. When tasting the individual components alone for their aroma and / or taste properties, it was found that single compounds require relatively high concentrations to become noticeable, at which point they often impart an unbalanced and / or artificial flavour. Therefore, the composition according to the present invention comprising a mixture of the compounds was optimized to achieve best aroma enhancing characteristics. The above referenced composition significantly improved the taste and palatability. The comparison results of taste of NA beer only and NA beer of Example 1 are shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, compared to the taste characteristics of the NA beer only. The taste characteristics such as body and warming effects (shown in Fig. 3) of the NA beer of Example 1 were statistically significantly improved compared to the NA beer only. The "n" values in Fig. 2 in brackets KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 refer to number of panelists that took part in the respective tasting experiments. The similar observation was obtained for other taste parameters, such as alcoholic impression, solvent aroma, body, sweetness, warming, preference, etc.

[0315] Figure 3 shows that the taste characteristics of the NA beer of Example 1 are comparable to the characteristic of the commercially available lager beer (comprising 5.2 vol.% ale.) and NA beer in which 5 vol.% ethanol was added.

[0316] Example 2: Effects of the composition of the invention on taste characteristics of a non-alcoholic (0.0% vol. alcohol beer)

[0317] The sensory profile comparison and score of the non-alcoholic beer (Stella 0.0, AB InBev, shown in Figs. 4A, 4B and 4C referred to as "NAB" beer) comprising the composition of invention consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in different ratios and concentrations. The taste characteristics were compared to the "base", i.e., the same beer comprising no alcohol (0.0% vol alcohol) without the composition of the invention. In the brackets, "n" indicates the number of participants that participated in each one of the tasting experiment. The participants were evaluating the warming, pleasant taste, which is associated to presence of alcohol in beverages.

[0318] The different compositions consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid were used in concentrations as indicated on a left side of the each graph of Fig. 4A, wherein the relative weight ratios of piperine to nicotinic acid with respect to each other are 1:1, 1:1 and 1:5, respectively. The first (highest positioned) graph shows the results of the tasting experiment taken by 11 participants, wherein even low concentration of lmg piperine and 1 mg nicotinic acid per L of a non-alcoholic beer were evaluated as warming, more preferred and / or alcohol resembling when compared to a non-alcoholic, base beer. When a higher concentration of a mixture of piperine and nicotinic acid 1:1 was used, so that the nonalcoholic beer contained 5 mg piperine and 5 mg nicotinic acid per L of the beer, the warming effect perceived by a group (n=42) of tasting panelists reached statistical significance (as indicated by the vertical dashed line in the middle graph of Fig. 4A). Finally, the warming effect of the mixture consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in a weight ratio 1:5, wherein said mixture is added in a concentration so that the non-alcoholic beer sample comprises 25 mg of piperine and 125 mg of nicotinic acid per litre of the beer was evaluated as pronounced and statistically significant (the lowest graph of Fig. 4A), as evaluated by 10 panelists.

[0319] Furthermore, the compositions comprising different ratios of piperine and nicotinic acid were tested in the non-alcoholic (0.0% vol. ale) beer, to evaluate if and to what extent, the higher presence of one of the components could compensate the lower amount of another. The results of the tasting experiments of non-alcoholic beer comprising different compositions consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in different weight ratios with respect to each other, namely weight ratios piperine to nicotinic acid being KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0320] 1:125, 19:32 and 25:1, respectively are shown in Fig. 4B. The results are obtained by the tasting group of 12 participants, and all three experiments showed that non-alcoholic beer samples comprising piperine and nicotinic acid in concentrations lmg and 125 mg, 19 mg and 32 mg, and 25 mg and 1 mg, respectively, per 1 L of the non-alcoholic beer produce the pleasing, warmth generating feeling upon consumption of the beer comprising the mixtures of the invention when compared to the base nonalcoholic beer without the mixture. For the non-alcoholic beer samples comprising piperine and nicotinic acid in concentration 19 mg and 32 mg, and 25 mg and 1 mg, respectively, the observed warming effect was statistically significant (as indicated by vertical dashed lines in the lower two graphs of Fig. 4B). Figure 4C. shows the result of the tasting of the beer comprising composition consisting of piperine to nicotinic acid in weight ratio 7:94 in a concentration 7 mg of piperine and 94 mg of nicotinic acid per litre of a non-alcoholic beer.

[0321] Example 3. Effects of adding the composition of invention into the non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

[0322] The taste characteristics such as alcoholic impression, warming effect and / or overall preference of a non-alcoholic wine comprising the mixture of the invention of Example 3 shown in Table 2, compared to the same base sparkling wine without the mixture were evaluated by 12 tasters. The non-alcoholic wine (Night Orient, Univers Drink SA, herein marked as "0.0 wine"), as well as to an alcoholic wine used as a control are compared in a separate experiment shown on the left in Fig 5A.

[0323] Table 2. A preferred embodiment of the composition of the invention used in a non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

[0324] The panelists evaluated taste parameters such as alcoholic impression, warming effect and overall preference. All three tested taste parameters / aspects (i.e., alcoholic impression, warming and preference) were statistically significantly improved by adding the composition according to Example 3, and the obtained results were comparable or better than the results of the tasting experiments obtained for the alcoholic wine used as control (Recoda Semi Seco, Vallformosa). The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05). KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0325] In another experiment, the effects of the low and high concentrations of the composition of the invention consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid only are tested, to provide an optimal concentration range of the composition of the invention for applications in beverages such as non-alcoholic, low- alcoholic and / or alcoholic wine. The effect of adding of the composition of the invention consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in sparkling wine, and comparison of the warming sensations tasted by 9 tasting participants compared to the base sparkling wine only (Night Orient, i.e., the same sparkling wine without the composition according to the invention). The two experiment were conducted with mixtures consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid in relative weight ratio piperine to nicotinic acid 1:15 and 3:50, respectively. The samples comprising 10 mg piperine and 150 mg nicotinic acid, and 30 mg piperine and 500 mg nicotinic per litre of a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, were perceived as more warming, resembling of the sparkling wine comprising alcohol, in a statistically significant manner. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05).

[0326] Example 4. Effects of the composition of the invention in a spirit beverage such as gin & tonic cocktail.

[0327] The effect of adding the composition consisting of piperine and nicotinic acid to a non-alcoholic gin & tonic (i.e., the gin comprising 0.0 % vol. alcohol). The tasting was performed by the group of 9 participants, wherein the 0.0 % vol. gin & tonic (Tanqueray 0.0, Diageo pic; Fever Tree Indian Tonic, Fevertree Drinks pic) comprising the composition of invention consisting of piperine to nicotinic acid in relative ratios 1:10 and 3:20, respectively, compared to the same gin & tonic without the composition of the invention. The absolute concentrations of piperine and nicotinic acid in the two test samples were 8 mg and 80 mg, and 30 mg and 200MG per L of non-alcoholic gin-tonic beverage, respectively. Surprisingly, both samples of the gin & tonic comprising the composition of the invention were perceived by the tasting panel as a more pleasant, warmth generating and / or alcohol resembling taste compared to a non-alcoholic gin & tonic without the composition of the invention. The taste / warmth was improved in a statistically significant manner. The vertical dashed line indicates the significance threshold, as calculated for each of the groups ("*" as indicated means that a p-value is less than 0.05).

[0328] Materials and Methods

[0329] Sample preparation.

[0330] Samples were prepared in Biological duplicates at room temperature. Thereafter, bottle pressure and carbonation was measured (CboxQC, Anton Paar GmbH, Austria), the beers were poured through two filter papers (Macherey-Nagel, 500713032 MN 713 %, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., USA) to remove carbonation. The filtered beer was aliquoted for near-infrared (NIR) and density measurements, discrete KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 photometric analyses, headspace gas-chromatography-flame ionization detector / flame photometric detector (HS-GC-FID / FPD) and headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS).

[0331] Near infrared and density measurements.

[0332] NIR analysis and density measurements (Alcolyzer Beer ME System, Anton Paar GmbH, Austria) were used to measure ethanol content, density and fermentation parameters. 40ml sample volume was used, and calibrations were performed with a 10% ethanol solution.

[0333] Discrete photometric analyses

[0334] Colorimetric and enzymatic analyses (Thermo ScientificTM GalleryTM Plus Beermaster Discrete Analyzer, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., USA) were performed to measure common non-volatile brewing parameters on 4ml sample volumes. Calibrations were performed with standards provided by Thermo Fisher, or produced in house according to Thermo Fisher protocols, available from https: / / eifu.thermofisher.com / TSF / BE / all.

[0335] HS-GC-FID / FPD.

[0336] HS-GC-FID / FPD (GC 2010 Plus, Shimadzu Corporation, Japan; equipped with a Combi PAL, CTC Analytics AG, Switzerland) analysis was performed to measure higher alcohols, acetate esters and ethyl esters. 5ml of sample was transferred to 20ml glass vials containing 1.75g NaCI (VWR, Part of Avantor, USA, ref. 27810.295). 2-heptanol (Merck KGaA, Germany, ref. H3003) was added as internal standard by transferring lOOpI stock solution to reach a final concentration of 2.44 mg / L. Sample headspace was flushed with nitrogen for 5 seconds, sealed and stored at -80°C before analysis. The chromatography setup and elution profile is identical to the method described by Schreurs et. al., Nature Communications, 2024, 15: 2368. The results were analyzed using the GCSolution software version 2.4 (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan).

[0337] The GC was equipped with a DB-WAXetr column (30m length, 0.32mm internal diameter, 0.50pm layer thickness; Agilent Technologies Inc., USA) to the FID and an HP-5 column (30m length, 0.25mm internal diameter, 0.25pm layer thickness, Agilent Technologies Inc., USA) to the FPD. Nitrogen gas was used as a carrier. The samples were incubated for 20 minutes at 70°C in the headspace auto-sampler (Combi PAL, CTC Analytics AG, Switzerland). A volume of lOOOpL was injected in split mode at an injector temperature of 250°C. The GC oven temperature was first held at 50°C for 5 min, then allowed to rise to 80°C at a rate of 5°C / min, followed by a second ramp of 4°C / min until 200°C kept for 3 min and a final ramp of (4°C / min) until 230 °C for 1 min.

[0338] HS-SPME-GC-MS.

[0339] HS-SPME-GC-MS measurements were carried out to perform untargeted analysis of beer volatiles and to perform targeted aldehyde measurements. For each analysis, 10ml of sample was transferred to glass KeVer / AlcMimic / 857 vials containing 3.5g NaCI (VWR, Part of Avantor, USA, ref. 27810.295). 100 .L of internal standard stock solution was added to reach final concentrations of 1 mg / L 2-heptanol (Merck KGaA, Germany, ref. H3003) and lmg / L 3-methyl-2-butenal (Merck KGaA, Germany, W364620). The chromatography setup and the aldehyde measurement method were adapted from the methods described by Wauters et. al., Food Chemistry, 2023, 398, 133863. The untargeted analysis method and subsequent spectral processing were adapted from the method described by Schreurs et. al., Nature Communications, 2024, 15: 2368.

[0340] Batch effect corrections.

[0341] All chemical measurements were corrected for batch to batch variation. Corrections were performed per compound, by fitting a linear model with intercept and slope for each different batches. To ensure successful corrections, sample replicates were distributed across batches in a balanced way before sample preparation, and control samples were included in each analysis.

[0342] SENSORY DATASET

[0343] Trained beer panel.

[0344] A professional beer tasting panel was recruited from voluntary members. Volunteers were screened by a series of triangle tests and trained over 6 training sessions of 3 hours each, during which a consensus vocabulary was developed to describe beer flavour. The final panel consisted of 35 members, and was diverse in age (from 22 to 47 years old, mean age 29, median 27), sex (74% male and 26% female), and consisted of 15 different nationalities.

[0345] Descriptive sensory analysis.

[0346] The descriptive sensory analysis was performed with an electronic tasting sheet, comprising a mix of quantitative descriptors on a 7-point scale to rate the intensity of predominant attributes, a 3-point scale to rate the intensity of sub-attributes, and check-all-that-apply descriptors for specific attributes. Tasting sessions were initiated with a reference beer, and consisted of 5 to 7 samples of the same style. Beer samples were served fresh at 8-12°C in opaque tasting glasses covered with a lid and labelled with a random three-digit code. Tastings were performed in tasting booths, with unlimited access to sparkling water and dry crackers (Knusperbrbt, Dr. Schar AG, Italy). Not all tasters were present during each session, but each sample was assessed by a minimum of 8 tasters.

[0347] Quantitative scores were scaled by standard deviation and mean-centered to the reference beer per session, then scaled by standard deviation mean-centered per taster across all sessions, before being averaged across tasters.

[0348] Pairwise comparison tastings. KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0349] 1-Propanol (CAS number 71-23-8), butyl alcohol (CAS number 71-36-3), isoamyl alcohol (CAS number 123-51-3), dimethyl sulfide (DMS) (CAS number 75-18-3), glycerol (CAS number 56-81-5), piperine (CAS number 94-62-2) and ethyl acetate (CAS number 141-78-6) were obtained from Merck GmbH. Nicotinic acid (CAS number 59-67-6) was obtained from VWR (Avantor, Inc.) and Dextrin was obtained from Cargill, Inc.

[0350] Non-alcoholic beer preparation.

[0351] Beer samples were cooled to 4°C and gently transferred to PET bottles. Pure, food-grade chemicals were diluted to make stock solutions in food-grade distilled ethanol (Filliers Distillery SA) or milliQ water, depending on their solubility. These stock solutions were added to the NAB samples, and an equal volume of ethanol or water was added to the untreated control sample (concentrations are shown in Example 1 and Example 2). The plastic bottles were sealed with a carbonation cap (Brouwland bv; FermZilla). The headspace was flushed for 3 seconds with a constant flow of CO2 gas, after which the caps were sealed shut and the samples were carbonated three times by pressurizing with 1.6 bar of CO2 and shaking. The resulting samples were stored overnight at 2°C, allowing ethanol micelles (induced from spiking in ethanol solutions) to dissolve into a monodispersed solution. Samples were kept at room temperature until reaching the temperature of 8°C before tasting.

[0352] The volume of 50ml of sample was gently poured into black, opaque tasting glasses and covered with a plastic lid. The glasses were labeled with a random 3-digit identifier. The tastings took place in tasting booths, isolating the panel from external influences. Before tasting, the panelists were instructed to taste a reference beer without scoring, to prepare their sensory system. During tasting sessions, the panelists had unlimited access to sparkling water and dry crackers (Schar Gluten-Free Knusperbrot). The samples were served in pairs, in a balanced, randomized order, so that each sample was tasted first and second an equal number of times. Panelists were asked to write down the preferred / more intense sample of each pair on a paper tasting sheet. Conclusions were inferred based on binomial tests, performed with R Studio (Posit Software PBC).

[0353] Sparkling wine tastings.

[0354] Alcohol free sparkling wine was cooled to 4°C and transferred to PET bottles. Pure, food-grade chemicals were diluted to make stock solutions in food-grade distilled ethanol (Filliers Distillery SA) or milliQ water, depending on their solubility. These stock solutions were added to the 0.0 wine (i.e., 0 vol.% alcohol) samples, and an equal volume of ethanol or water was added to the untreated control sample (concentrations are shown in Example 3). The plastic bottles were sealed with a carbonation cap (Brouwland bv; FermZilla). The headspace was flushed for 3 seconds with a constant flow of CO2 gas, after which the caps were sealed shut and the samples were carbonated three times by pressurizing with 2.2 bar of CO2 and shaking. The resulting samples were stored overnight at 2°C, allowing ethanol micelles KeVer / AlcMimic / 857

[0355] (induced from spiking in ethanol solutions) to dissolve into a monodispersed solution. Samples were kept at room temperature until reaching the temperature of 8°C before tasting. Additionally, alcoholic wine was used as an alcoholic reference in tasting experiments.

[0356] The volume of 50ml of sample was gently poured into ISO standard wine tasting glasses. The glasses were labeled with a random 3-digit identifier. The tastings took place in tasting booths, isolating the panel from external influences. Before tasting, the panelists were instructed to taste sparkling wine without scoring, to prepare their sensory system. During tasting sessions, the panelists had unlimited access to sparkling water. The samples were served in pairs, in a balanced, randomized order, so that each sample was tasted first and second an equal number of times. Panelists were asked to write down the preferred / more intense sample of each pair on a paper tasting sheet. Conclusions were inferred based on binomial tests, performed with R Studio (Posit Software PBC).

[0357] Alcohol-free gin and tonic tastings.

[0358] Alcohol-free gin was cooled to 4°C and transferred to PET bottles. Pure, food-grade chemicals were diluted to make stock solutions in food-grade distilled ethanol (Filliers Distillery SA) or milliQ. water, depending on their solubility. These stock solutions were added to the 0.0 gin samples, and an equal volume of ethanol or water was added to the untreated control sample (concentrations are shown in Example 4). Additionally, alcoholic gin was used as an alcoholic reference. Next, chilled (4°C) tonic water was added to the PET bottles to a final ratio of 1 part gin to 4 parts tonic.

[0359] The volume of 50ml of sample was gently poured into ISO standard wine tasting glasses. The glasses were labelled with a random 3-digit identifier. The tastings took place in tasting booths, isolating the panel from external influences. Before tasting, the panelists were instructed to taste pure tonic water without scoring, to prepare their sensory system. During tasting sessions, the panelists had unlimited access to sparkling water. The samples were served in pairs, in a balanced, randomized order, so that each sample was tasted first and second an equal number of times. Panelists were asked to write down the preferred / more intense sample of each pair on a paper tasting sheet. Conclusions were inferred based on binomial tests, performed with R Studio (Posit Software PBC).

Claims

KeVer / AlcMimic / 857Claims1. A composition for producing and / or enhancing taste of a food product, wherein said composition comprises at least piperine and nicotinic acid, and wherein the weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid is from 50:1 to 1:150.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein said weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid is from 1:1 to 1:50.

3. The composition according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said weight ratio of piperine to nicotinic acid is from 1:1 to 1:8.

4. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising at least one alcoholic compound wherein said at least one alcoholic compound is chosen from a group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl butanol, 2-phenylethanol, and isoamyl alcohol.

5. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one ester, wherein said at least one ester is chosen from a group consisting of ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, isopentyl acetate, octyl acetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl decanoate and or ethyl 2-methyl butyrate.

6. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one viscosity adjusting compound.

7. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one sulphur containing compound, such as dimethylsulfide or allyl isothiocyanate.

8. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising at least one bitter compound, plant or fungal extract, plant or fungal isolate, protein and / or carbonation enhancer.

9. The composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises at least six-components, and wherein said composition comprises at least one alcoholic compound, at least one viscosity adjusting compounds, at least one ester, and / or at least one sulphur containing compound.

10. A use of the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for improving the taste of a food product.

11. The use of the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, according to claim 10 wherein said food product is non-alcoholic-, low alcoholic- or alcoholic- beer, spirit drink, or wine.

12. A food product comprising the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. The food product according to claim 12, wherein said food product is a beverage characterized by the total alcoholic content of at most 5 vol. % alcohol.KeVer / AlcMimic / 85714. The food product according to any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein said product is a non-alcoholic-, low-alcoholic- or alcoholic- beer, spirit drink, or wine.

15. A method for producing a beverage, preferably a non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage, the method comprising the steps of: • Providing the non-alcoholic, low-alcoholic or alcoholic beverage;• Providing the composition according to any one of claims 1-9; and• Adding said composition into the beverage preferably until the piperine is present in the concentration corresponding to 1 to 30 mg per litre of said beverage, and preferably until nicotinic acid is present in the concentration of 1 to 500 mg per litre of said beverage.

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