JP7502360B2 - Non-fermented beer-flavored beverage - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a non-fermented beer-flavored beverage and a method for producing the same.

Amid growing health consciousness in recent years, an increasing number of consumers are self-managing their alcohol intake. In addition, due to amendments to the Road Traffic Act, such as tougher penalties for drunk driving, people who drive automobiles and other vehicles are becoming more concerned about their alcohol intake. In this environment, the demand for beer-flavored beverages that contain almost no alcohol is on the rise.

One of the characteristics of beer's flavor is its satisfying texture, and several satisfying beer-flavored beverages have been reported. For example, in the case of fermented alcohol-containing beer-flavored beverages, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of making the beverage satisfying by increasing the malt ratio in the beverage. However, in non-fermented beer-flavored beverages, if a large amount of extract derived from grains such as malt is used to make the beverage satisfying, a problem arises in that a unique unpleasant odor known as the wort odor, which is not normally present in beer, remains because the beverage does not go through a fermentation process.

A method of using starch hydrolysates and sweeteners to impart a beer-like flavor to non-fermented beer-flavored beverages has been reported (e.g., Patent Document 2). Furthermore, a method of using resistant dextrin to reduce the malt odor and improve the aftertaste of low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages has been reported (e.g., Patent Document 3). Although many efforts have been made to impart a beer-like flavor, and in particular a satisfying drinking experience, to beer-flavored beverages, no means have yet been found that achieves the original beer-like drinking experience of beer, with a full-bodied flavor and reduced astringency aftertaste.

International Publication No. 2005/056746 International Publication No. 2013/080354 International Publication No. 2014/057954

The inventors have discovered that in the production of a non-fermented beer-flavored beverage, by adjusting the alanine content and the alanine to proline content ratio within a specified range, it is possible to impart richness (full body), reduce aftertaste, and provide a beer-like drinking experience. The present invention is based on this finding.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a non-fermented beer-flavored beverage that has a rich flavor and reduced aftertaste, making it satisfyingly beer-like, and a method for producing the same.

That is, according to the present invention, the following inventions are provided.
(1) A non-fermented beer-flavored beverage having an alanine content of 10 ppm or more and a proline content/alanine content ratio of 1 to 6.
(2) The non-fermented beer-taste beverage according to (1), having an alanine content of 10 to 80 ppm.
(3) A non-fermented beer-taste beverage as described in (1) or (2), in which the proline content/alanine content ratio is 1.5 to 6.
(4) A method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, the method comprising the step of adjusting the alanine content and proline content so that the alanine content is 10 ppm or more and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 1 to 6.
(5) A method for enhancing the beer-like drinking experience of a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, the method comprising adjusting the alanine content and proline content so that the alanine content is 10 ppm or more and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 1 to 6.

The non-fermented beer-flavored beverage of the present invention is advantageous in that it has the same satisfying drinking experience as traditional beer. In particular, the present invention is advantageous in that it contains almost no alcohol and simultaneously meets consumer needs for a rich beer flavor.

Description of the Invention

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

In the present invention, a "non-fermented beer-taste beverage" refers to a beer-taste beverage produced without going through a fermentation process. Here, the "fermentation process" refers to the process in which microorganisms such as yeast break down organic matter to produce metabolic products such as alcohol.

In this specification, the unit "ppm" is synonymous with "mg/L." Furthermore, the "proline content/alanine content ratio" is the value obtained by dividing the proline content (ppm) in the beverage by the alanine content (ppm).

The non-fermented beer-flavored beverage of the present invention contains alanine in a specified concentration range, and furthermore, the weight ratio of alanine to proline is also within a specified range. This enhances the body and reduces the aftertaste, making it possible to achieve a beer-like drinking experience.

The non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the alanine and proline contents. The alanine and proline contents may be adjusted, for example, by adding alanine and/or proline during the production process of the non-fermented beer-taste beverage, or by increasing or decreasing the amount of raw materials that provide alanine and/or proline to the non-fermented beer-taste beverage.

The alanine and proline contained in the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention may be in the L-form, D-form, racemic form thereof, or a mixture of these with a variable quantitative ratio, but is preferably in the L-form.

When alanine or proline is added in the production of the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention, it is sufficient that they are suitable for food production. Their form is also sufficient as long as they are easily soluble in an aqueous solvent, and they may be in any form, such as liquid, powder, or solid.

The alanine content in the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 10 ppm or more, preferably 10 to 80 ppm, and more preferably 20 to 80 ppm. The proline content/alanine content ratio in the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 1 to 6, preferably more than 1 and not more than 6, more preferably 1.5 to 6, and even more preferably 2 to 6. The proline content in the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 15 to 320 ppm, and more preferably 25 to 320 ppm.

The alanine and proline contents in the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be determined by separating the amino acids using a cation exchange resin, adding a ninhydrin reaction solution and reacting at 135°C, and then quantifying the amounts using a UV-VIS detector.

The non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention may be either a non-alcoholic beverage or an alcoholic beverage produced by adding an alcohol (ethanol)-containing material, but is preferably a non-alcoholic beverage. Here, "non-alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage with an alcohol concentration of less than 1% (v/v), and preferably a beverage with an alcohol concentration of less than 0.005% (v/v). According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is an alcohol-free beverage with an alcohol concentration of 0.00% (v/v).

The non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients as long as they do not interfere with the effects of the present invention. That is, the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention may contain colorants (e.g., caramel color), sweeteners (e.g., high-intensity sweeteners), seasoning ingredients (e.g., amino acids), flavorings (e.g., commercially available beer flavors containing ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, etc., which are typical aroma components of beer), bitter components such as isomerized hop extract, yeast extract, etc. as ingredients.

The pH of the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.5 or lower, more preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.2 or lower, even more preferably 3.7 or higher and 4.2 or lower, and most preferably 3.8 or higher and 4.2 or lower. The pH of the non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted using a pH adjuster.

The non-fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the alanine and proline contents at any stage in a general method well known in the art. Such a general method includes, for example, a method including a wort preparation step and a filtration step, and this method can be carried out, for example, by sequentially carrying out the steps of (a) saccharifying a mixture of malt powder and water and filtering to obtain wort, (b) adding hops to the obtained wort and then boiling it, (c) cooling the boiled wort, and (d) filtering the cooled wort.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for enhancing the beer-like drinking experience of a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, the method comprising adjusting the alanine content and proline content so that the alanine content is 10 ppm or more and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 1 to 6.

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

Example 1: Effect of adjusting the concentrations of alanine and proline on the flavor of a non-fermented beer-taste beverage (part 1)
(1) Preparation of sample 1 kg of malt was crushed to an appropriate particle size and placed in a brewing tank, to which 3 L of warm water was added. After holding at 65°C for 30 minutes, the temperature was gradually raised to 76°C for 30 minutes for saccharification. After saccharification, the temperature was raised to 82°C, and then filtration was performed using filter paper to obtain a filtrate. About 1 g of hops was added to 1 L of the filtrate, and the filtrate was boiled at 100°C for 60 minutes. The boiled liquid was filtered using filter paper and cooled to about 5°C. Hot water was added appropriately to adjust the wort so that the sugar content was 7.0°P. Carbonated water and carbon dioxide gas were added to the wort, which was then stored at 2 to 4°C for 24 hours, and then filtered. Alanine, proline, and beer flavorings were added to the filtered liquid to the desired concentrations. In this way, each sample of test plots 1 to 7 was obtained.

(2) Sensory Evaluation The evaluation item for the sensory evaluation was set to be beer-like drinking experience. Here, beer-like drinking experience was defined as a flavor with richness (full body) and reduced aftertaste, and the intensity of this flavor was evaluated on a nine-point scale from 1 (weak) to 9 (strong). The sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of five trained members, and the average of the evaluations from each panel was calculated. The overall evaluation derived from the average of these evaluation results is as follows:
A: Average value of 7.0 or more: Excellent drinking sensation is observed.
B: Average value is 5.5 or more and less than 7.0: Good drinking response is observed.
C: Average value is 3.5 or more and less than 5.5: The drink is satisfying but weak.
D: Average value less than 3.5: Not satisfying to drink.

(3) Results The results of the above sensory evaluation are shown in Table 1 together with the alanine and proline concentrations and the proline/alanine concentration ratios in each test group.

As a result of the sensory evaluation, test plots 2 to 6, which had an alanine concentration of 20 to 80 ppm and a proline concentration of 40 ppm or more, were found to have a good drinking response (B) or excellent drinking response (A). On the other hand , test plot 2, which had a proline concentration of 40 ppm, was rated as having a poorer drinking response than test plot 3, which had a proline concentration of 80 ppm, indicating that a certain amount of proline concentration relative to alanine is required to be recognized as having a drinking response. Next, test plot 7, which had an alanine concentration of 120 ppm, was rated as having a drinking response that was recognized but was weak (C). In addition, the sample in test plot 7 was perceived to have a strong astringent, sour, and harsh taste.

Example 2: Effect of adjusting the concentrations of alanine and proline on the flavor of a non-fermented beer-taste beverage (part 2)
(1) Preparation of Samples Samples of test plots 8 to 15 were prepared according to the method of Example 1, except that the concentrations of alanine and proline were changed as shown in Table 2 below.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation of the samples was carried out by six trained panelists using the same method as in Example 1.

(3) Results The results of the above sensory evaluation are shown in Table 2 together with the alanine and proline concentrations and the proline/alanine concentration ratios in each test group.

As a result of the sensory evaluation, good drinking response (B) or excellent drinking response (A) was observed in test plots 11 to 13, which had an alanine concentration of 20 ppm and a proline concentration of 40 to 120 ppm. On the other hand, no drinking response was observed in test plot 8, which had an alanine concentration of 5 ppm (D) . Test plot 10, which had a proline concentration of 20 ppm, was evaluated as being slightly less drinking response than test plot 11, which had a proline concentration of 40 ppm. Next, test plot 14, which had a proline concentration of 140 ppm, and test plot 15, which had a proline concentration of 160 ppm, were evaluated as being slightly less drinking response than test plot 13, which had a proline concentration of 120 ppm. In addition, the samples of test plots 14 and 15 were strongly felt to have astringent, sour, and harsh tastes.

The results of the sensory evaluation of Examples 1 and 2 suggest that a good or excellent drinking experience can be achieved when the alanine content is 10 ppm or more and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 1 to 6.

Claims (11)

A non-fermented beer-taste beverage having an alanine content of 10 to 80 ppm (excluding the range of 26.7 to 28.1 ppm) and a proline content/alanine content ratio of 2 to 6. 2. The non-fermented beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, having an alanine content of 20 to 80 ppm (excluding the range of 26.7 to 28.1 ppm) . The non-fermented beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1 or 2, in which the proline content/alanine content ratio is 3 to 6. The non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to claim 4, wherein the alcohol concentration of the non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005% (v/v). A method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of adjusting the alanine content and proline content so that the alanine content is 10 to 80 ppm (excluding the range of 26.7 to 28.1 ppm) and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 2 to 6. The method according to claim 6, wherein the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is a non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. The method according to claim 7, wherein the alcohol concentration of the non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005% (v/v). A method for enhancing the beer-like drinking experience of a non-fermented beer-flavored beverage, the method comprising adjusting the alanine content and proline content so that the alanine content is 10-80 ppm and the proline content/alanine content ratio is 2-6. The method according to claim 9, wherein the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is a non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. The method according to claim 10, wherein the alcohol concentration of the non-fermented, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is less than 0.005% (v/v).