The Concentration of Ethyl Carbamate in Commercial Ume (Prunus mume) Liqueur Products and a Method of Reducing It

The ethyl carbamate concentration of commercial ume liqueur products was studied, and a method of reducing it was examined from the viewpoint of antioxidation. The average ethyl carbamate concentration across 38 ume liqueur products was 0.12 mg/l (0.02-0.33 mg/l). When potassium metabisulfite was added to a concentration of 0-1,000 ppm during production, the generation of ethyl carbamate was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, but when the amount of potassium metabisulfite added was below the maximum level allowed under the Japanese Food Sanitation Act, the reduction was only 27%. When ume liqueurs were produced under deoxygenated conditions created using an oxygen absorber, the ethyl carbamate concentration was reduced by up to 47% as compared with the control group, probably due mainly to a reduction in free hydrogen cyanide. When ume liqueur was produced in an oxygen atmosphere, the ethyl carbamate concentration increased by up to 50% as compared with the control group. Thus, oxygen may be involved in the generation of ethyl carbamate in ume liqueur production.