Method and device for the biotechnological reduction of sugars in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining reduced-sugar fruit products

Abstract

An inventive method and a device for the biotechnological reduction of sugar substances in fruit educts for the purpose of obtaining low-sugar fruit products characterized by enzymatic and/or fermentative reaction processes. Said method is characterized by a closed-loop control process, by means of which the pH value in the low-sugar fruit product is adjusted to a predetermined higher value, as compared to the pH value in the fruit educt, in such a way that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 30% by weight to less than 40% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.6 and 1.0 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 40% by weight to less than 50% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.7 and 1.1 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 50% by weight to less than 65% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.8 and 1.2 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 65% by weight to less than 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 0.9 and 1.3 pH units; or that during the reduction of the sugar substances by at least 80% by weight, the pH value is increased between 1.0 and 1.4 pH units; wherein the aforementioned pH values may also turn out to be higher or lower by up to 0.1 or up to 0.2 pH units; and/or wherein, in the case of fermentatively formed sugar alcohols having a % by weight fraction of up to 3.0% by weight, the increase in the pH value with the simultaneous reduction of the sugar substances may turn out to be less by up to 0.3 pH units, as compared to a purely enzymatic process, wherein preferably both values correlate to each other, in particular, linearly. The present invention can be used to obtain, in particular, low-sugar fruit products, such as fruit purées or fruit preparations or fruit powder or whole fruit beverages (smoothies) or fruit juices and/or vegetable juices (regardless of whether bottled undiluted as NFC juice or rediluted as fruit juice from fruit juice concentrate) or comparable fruit beverages that can be characterized as alcohol-free.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.