Role of Beer Components on Chemiluminescence Production During Beer Storage. Hirotaka Kaneda and Yukinobu Kano, Brewing Research Laboratories, Sapporo Breweries Ltd., 10 Okatohme, Yaizu-shi, Shizuoka 425 Japan; Toshihiko Osawa and Shunro Kawakishi, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464 Japan; and Shouhei Koshino, Brewing Research Laboratories, Sapporo Breweries Ltd., 10 Okatohme, Yaizu-shi, Shizuoka 425 Japan. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 52:0070, 1994.

Chemiluminescence-producing reactions in beer and model systems were studied to clarify the relationship between chemiluminescence production and the deterioration of beer quality during storage. Active oxygen produced during beer storage attacks beer components such as phenolic components and isohumulones, producing excited species such as ¹O₂ and excited carbonyls. They release their excess energy as a light emission and are transformed into a stable state. These reactions occur in packaged beer during storage, and the deterioration of beer quality by free radical reactions is always accompanied by light emission.

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