Effects of acidified apple juice before fermentation on ethyl carbamate and volatile components of apple distillate

In order to eliminate ethyl carbamate (EC) content in apple distillate, Fuji apple juice was acidified to pH 3.0 by sulfuric acid (ST), malic acid (MT), lactic acid (LT), or citric acid (CT). The acidified juice was inoculated with yeast, fermented at room temperature, and distilled by double distillation. Acid treatment by ST (3.23 μg/L), MT (3.20 μg/L), LT (2.93 μg/L), and CT (3.57 μg/L) significantly eliminated EC from apple distillate. Combined with the EC content and sensory evaluation, it was suggested that the high-quality apple distillate could be obtained with lower EC if apple juice was treated with ST or MT before fermentation.