Quality characteristics and consumer perception of non-alcoholic beers in the context of responsible alcohol consumption

Consumers are becoming more aware of the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption, which has increased the popularity of non-alcoholic beer (NAB). However, the brewing industry still faces many difficulties in producing NAB with similar physicochemical and sensory characteristics to regular beers. To mitigate these challenges, a multidisciplinary study was conducted to: (1) determine selected quality characteristics of various NABs, (2) compare them with literature data for regular beers, and (3) find out how Polish consumers, especially young people, perceive NAB and what motivates them in their purchasing decisions. Physicochemical quality characteristics of NABs, namely pH (4.3-4.7), bitterness (IBU = 12-77), colour (EBC = 6.4-19.6), total soluble solids (2.8-8.3 °Bx), and vitamin B₂ content (0.11-0.30 mg/L) were similar to alcoholic beers. Total phenolics (150-321 mg/L), Ca (13-45 mg/L), Mg (40-94 mg/L), K (192-490 mg/L), Na (0.5-57 mg/L), and P (158-467 mg/L) contents in NABs were slightly lower than in alcoholic beers, but this assortment is a healthier source of these nutrients due to the lack of alcohol-related harm. According to the consumer study, taste and availability in shops were found to be crucial factors influencing NAB purchasing decisions.