The invention relates to a process for preparing a reduced calorie beverage or food product employing fermentation of a plant-derived juice or liquid and removing the ethanol therefrom. This invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the process for preparing a reduced calorie beverage or food product and to the reduced calorie juices and juice products created using this process and apparatus.

A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

The invention relates to a fermented beverage as well as a method of producing a fermented beverage, particularly a beer or beer-like beverage, with an ethanol content of between 0.0% and 1.0% by volume, the method comprising providing an ethanol containing fermented base beverage, reducing the ethanol content of the fermented base beverage by a de-alcoholisation step, followed by adding flavor to the fermented base beverage with reduced ethanol content to produce the fermented beverage, wherein the added flavor includes at least an amount of 4-vinyl guaiacol (4VG).

An apparatus for reducing the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary circuit through which the alcoholic beverage circulates, a secondary circuit through which an alcohol extracting liquid circulates, and at least one filter with a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane, the filter being configured so that one of the sides of the membrane is in contact with the alcoholic beverage circulating through the primary circuit and so that the other side of the membrane is in contact with the alcohol extracting liquid circulating through the secondary circuit. The apparatus also includes an extraction and filling circuit configured to guide the alcoholic beverage from a container to the primary circuit and for guiding the alcoholic beverage, once its alcohol content has been reduced, from the primary circuit to the container.

The present invention provides processes for producing food products, particularly juice beverages, with reduced sugar content enriched with dietary fibers and the food products produced. The processed food products are low in calories while preserving the palatable test of the starting material, and contain beneficial amount of dietary fibers. The processed food product further contains sorbitol and gluconic acid.

The present invention provides processes for producing food products, particularly juice beverages, with reduced sugar content enriched with dietary fibers and the food products produced. The processed food products are low in calories while preserving the palatable test of the starting material, and contain beneficial amount of dietary fibers. The processed food product further contains sorbitol and gluconic acid.

This invention disclosed a method for preparing low-sugar vegetable and fruit enzyme product comprising obtaining a fruit or/and vegetable as a material; fermenting the material for at least three times sequentially, and producing an enzyme product, wherein the first fermentation is yeast fermentation, the second fermentation is acetic acid bacteria fermentation and the third fermentation is lactic acid bacteria fermentation; and the sugar content of the enzyme product is less than 5 wt %, especially, in a predetermined fermentation condition, the sugar content of the enzyme product is less than 2.5 wt %.

Kombucha, kefir, and other fermented beverages may be manufactured using a fermenter that draws off some fermented beverage, then adds starter liquid to a fermenter. Production may be regulated by managing heat, oxygen, or other inputs to achieve a desired quantity of finished beverage output, and production may be increased or decreased to match consumption. A controller may monitor beverage consumption and may adjust processing variables to achieve production goals, while automatically managing the overall process. A system may have a feed tank from which unprocessed liquid may be added to the fermenter at the same or similar quantities as finished beverage may be transferred to a dispensing system. The system may operate with little expertise or knowledge by a human operator.

Kombucha, kefir, and other fermented beverages may be manufactured using a fermenter that draws off some fermented beverage, then adds starter liquid to a fermenter. Production may be regulated by managing heat, oxygen, or other inputs to achieve a desired quantity of finished beverage output, and production may be increased or decreased to match consumption. A controller may monitor beverage consumption and may adjust processing variables to achieve production goals, while automatically managing the overall process. A system may have a feed tank from which unprocessed liquid may be added to the fermenter at the same or similar quantities as finished beverage may be transferred to a dispensing system. The system may operate with little expertise or knowledge by a human operator.