Protective effect of hop beta-acids on microbial degradation of thick juice during storage

This study assessed the value of a commercial alkaline solution of hop beta-acids (HBA) for prevention of microbial degradation of thick juice, a concentrated intermediate product in the production of beet sugar.

The antimicrobial effect of different concentrations of HBA against microbial degradation of thick juice was tested in a pilot-scale storage experiment. Chemical, biochemical and microbial parameters were monitored during thick juice storage. Thick juice degradation, indicated as a decrease in pH, was generally accompanied by an increase in the count of fastidious bacteria (FB) on Columbia Agar with Sheep Blood (CAwSB), which were mainly identified as Tetragenococcus halophilus. Addition of HBA delayed juice acidification and the development of FB in a concentration-dependent manner. The susceptibility of FB to HBA was determined by plating degraded thick juice (FB > 10(5) CFU ml(-1) on CAwSB plates with different concentrations of HBA (0-160 ppm). None of the HBA concentrations tested reduced the number of FB colonies formed, but increasing HBA concentrations extended the lag time of colony formation.

HBA produce no measurable bactericidal effect, but retard the development of FB in thick juice. Moreover, HBA do not prevent the thick juice from deteriorating, but significantly delay its degradation.

These results indicate that adding a commercially available HBA formulation can prolong the storage life of thick juice in the sugar industry, although degradation cannot be eliminated. Future research will focus on the detailed characterization of FB consistently isolated from degraded thick juice and on determining their role in thick juice degradation.