Use of hop acids in fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and other beverages to inhibit
An antimicrobial agent including hop acids is disclosed that inhibits the growth of acid-resistant and heat-resistant bacteria such as Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius in a medium such as fruit juice.
1. A method for retarding spoilage of a fruit juice, the method comprising: adding a safe and effective amount of a hexahydrocolupulone to the fruit juice to retard spoilage of the fruit juice, wherein the fruit juice includes Alicyclobacillus.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fruit juice includes Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and/or Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tetrahydroisohumulone is present in the fruit juice in an amount of 0.05 ppm or greater.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of apple, orange, pineapple, cherry, grape, grapefruit, lemon, melon, strawberry, cherry, lemon-lime, mango, papaya, cranapple, fruit punch, peach, guava, tangerine, apricot, cranberry, and mixtures thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fruit juice is apple juice.