METHOD OF PREVENTING OR REDUCING OFF-FLAVOR IN A BEVERAGE USING SILANE-TREATED SILICA FILTER MEDIA

• Main Authors: MATHERLY, JAMES, E. JR, REVIS, ANTHONY, BROTHERS, HERBERT MARTIN JR, GIBSON, GARY, L, MCIVOR, MARGO LYNN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.10.2007
• Subjects: AGEING; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; CLARIFICATION; ENZYMOLOGY; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PASTEURISATION; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRESERVATION; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PURIFICATION; SPIRITS; STERILISATION; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention provides a method for preventing or reducing off-flavor in a beverage. Silane-treated silica filter media are synthesized. By contacting the beverage with the silane-treated silica filter, one or more off-flavor substances or off-flavor precursors bind to the silane-treated silica filter media and are removed. Beverages that tend to develop off-flavor upon storage such as alcoholic, fruit, and vegetable beverages, are suitable for the present invention. The present invention provides a method that can reduce the level of off-flavor substances such as trans-2-nonenal, diacetyl, and cis-3-nonenal. The present invention also provides a method that can reduce the level of off-flavor precursors such as linoleic acid. The silica filter media useful for the present method include rice hull ash, oat hull ash, or diatomaceous earth.