Beer-based beverages can be divided into three general groups:
beer-based beverages containing 50 % beer and 50 % of some type of soft drink (“classic” beer-based beverages with an alcohol content of approximately 2.5 % by vol.)
aromatized beers, i.e., beers with a standard alcohol content (approx. 5 % by vol.) with added aromas and/or fruit components
non-alcoholic, beer-based beverages
Each of these separate groups has its own special requirements regarding the specific attributes to be evaluated. Based on the group being evaluated, the structure of the test should reflect the number of samples and the general planning of the tasting session. Among other things, the alcohol content of the samples must be taken into account.
This method describes how to conduct a stress test for non-alcoholic beverages (NAB).
non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks containing natural aromas and flavors, soft drinks containing artificial aromas and flavors, beverages containing fruit juice)
The time required to develop a product – from conception to launch on the market – is steadily shrinking. Since recipes are also becoming ever more complex and a wide range of different types of packaging are now employed, forced stability tests have become absolutely essential, in order to establish a realistic indication of a product’s shelf-life.
Inferences about the shelf-life of a product can only be made if the entire beverage concept is taken into consideration, such as the recipe, filling technology, packaging and distribution.
The most important stress factors in the aging process are heat, light and oxygen.
PET bottles have become a popular form of packaging for non-alcoholic beverages, and their permeability to gas, most especially oxygen, is therefore a critical parameter in the aging process.
The testing process described below operates, of course, on the assumption that the chemical reactions in the aging process are subject to the same mechanisms, whether they occur at temperatures typical for beverage storage or at somewhat elevated temperatures, and that they follow a linear relationship dependent on temperature. The same applies to forced photochemical reactions and to reactions brought about by an increase in the partial pressure of oxygen on the beverage. To verify results from forced testing, they can be compared and correlated to results from real-time tests on the same product.