Method of preparing natural beverages having a low alcohol level, using ultrafiltration techniques

Claim 1

A process for the preparation of a natural beverage having a low alcohol level, which comprises the steps of: (a) ultrafiltering a natural alcoholic liquid under low pressure through a semi-permeable ultrafilter whose molecular weight separation threshold is about 10,000 to form as a retentate R 1 , containing a mixture of organic molecules of a molecular weight greater than or equal to 10,000, and an ultrafiltrate F 1 , containing a mixture of organic molecules of a molecular weight less than 10,000; (b) subjecting the ultrafiltrate F 1 formed during step (a), to reverse osmosis under high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane whose molecular weight separation threshold is about 250 to form as a retentate R 2 , containing a mixture of organic molecules of a molecular weight between 10,000 and 250 and an ultrafiltrate F 2 , containing a mixture of organic molecules of a molecular weight less than 250; (c) evaporating by vacuum distillation under a low temperature the ultrafiltrate F 2 prepared during step (b) to yield a retentate R 3 , which contains a mixture of molecules of molecular weight less than 250, and an evaporate F 3 , which is alcohol; and (d) forming the natural beverage of low alcohol content by mixing in suitable proportions corresponding to the levels of the starting product in the elements supporting the organoleptic, biological and physical-chemical properties, the retentates R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , or the retentates R 1 and R 3 or the retentates R 2 and R 3 .