Selective Removal of the Odor Associated with Stale Sake (Hineka) Achieved in a World First!

　In partnership with a research team including Atsuko Isogai, Senior Research Fellow at the National Research Institute of Brewing (NRIB), a research team including Professor Makoto Tokunaga of the Kyushu University Faculty of Sciences achieved a world first, succeeding in selectively removing hineka, the odor associated with stale sake (which forms while sake is in storage), by using nanoparticles of gold and other precious metals.

　The research team showed that hineka alone could be selectively removed without impairing the ginjoko (the characteristic aroma of fine ginjo sake) by using gold nanoparticles supported on silica gel, etc.
　The outcomes of this study were presented on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at the 95th Spring Annual Meeting of the Chemical Society of Japan , which was held at Nihon University.

Flavor Components of Japanese Sake

Adsorption of DMTS by supported gold nanopaerticles

A Haadf-stem image of 1 wt% Au/SiO2