Effect of molar mass and size of non-alcoholic beer fractions and their relevance toward palate fullness intensity

• Published in: Food research international 2023-08, Vol.170, p.112725-112725, Article 112725
• Main Authors: Moreno Ravelo, Rolando César, Masch, Jens Dieter, Gastl, Martina, Becker, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation; Beer; Beverages; Candy; Edible Grain; Molar mass; Mouthfeel; Non-alcoholic beer; Palate fullness; Polyphenols; Starch
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112725

[Display omitted] •Consumers consider palate fullness of non-alcoholic beers (NABs) weak.•The molar mass of different molecules may influence NABs sensory characteristics.•Thermally produced NABs were generally perceived with the weakest palate fullness.•The sour/sweet harmony affected palate fullness perception of the samples.•High molar mass dextrins, arabinoxylan, and β-glucan influenced the palate fullness. Palate fullness intensity and mouthfeel descriptors are essential sensory characteristics of non-alcoholic beers (NABs). The descriptor’s perception might be influenced by the molar distribution of the non-volatile matrix in cereal-based beverages like NABs. However, only limited information is available on the molar mass of different substances in NABs. This study investigated the role of weight average molar mass (Mw) and size of NABs fractions and their relation to sensory perception. Industrialized bottom-fermented NABs (n = 28) from the German market and NABs produced by different methods were used in this study. A trained sensory panel evaluated palate fullness intensity, mouthfeel, and basic taste descriptors (as additional quality parameters). Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation was used to fractionate NABs, while Mw was determined by multi-angle light scattering and differential refractive index detectors. The NABs were fractionated into three groups containing different substances: proteins, proteins-polyphenol complexes (P-PC) and low molar mass (non-)starch polysaccharides (LN-SP), and high molar mass (non-)starch polysaccharides (HN-SP). The Mw range of proteins was 18.3–41 kDa, P-PC and LN-SP 43–122.6 kDa, and HN-SP 0.40–2.18·103 kDa. Harmony, defined as the sweet and sour ratio, influenced the palate fullness intensity perception. In the harmonic samples (sour/sweet sensory balanced), the size of HN-SP (> 25 nm) showed a positive correlation to palate fullness intensity. The results suggest the importance of dextrins, arabinoxylan, and β-glucan in modulating the sensory characteristics of harmonic bottom-fermented NABs.