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The Antimicrobial Efficacy of Chitosan Fiber from Mushrooms for Stabilization and Its Beneficial Impact on Brewing Sustainability for Low and Nonalcoholic Beers 

Abstract

While conventional alcoholic beers are considered immune to spoilage from contamination with bacterial pathogens, their low-alcohol (LA) and nonalcoholic (NA) counterparts are not. Recent reports, including a major study published in the Journal of Food Protection, show that the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella survived in LA and NA beer for over 2 months after brewing. Another report indicated that LA and NA beer with a pH higher than 4.20 are at high risk for pathogen growth and should have their processes reviewed by an Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)-accredited process authority. At the same time, LA and NA beers are also at risk for spoilage microorganisms such as yeasts, molds, and nonpathogenic bacteria, which can cause exploding cans and alcohol production, as w​ell as off-flavors and a bad appearance. With the surge in popularity of LA and NA beer, brewers are responding by rapidly increasing their production to meet demand, but there is little scientific evidence showing the safety and microbial stability of these beers over time. A new natural antimicrobial ingredient, a cationic biopolymer fiber, chitosan, extracted from white button mushrooms, has been studied for its ability to protect LA and NA beers from bot​h pathogenic bacteria and spoilage microorganisms in a series of microbial challenge tests. Natural antimicrobial ingredients present an opportunity to reduce the risk of microbial spoilage of LA and NA beers, while eliminating the risk of contamination with pathogenic bacteria and improving the sustainability of producing these beverages.

Keywords: Chiber^TM mushroom extract, low-alcohol beer, natural antimicrobial, NA beer antimicrobial, NA beer stabilizer, natural stabilizer, nonalcoholic beer