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The Shocking Ingredients In Beer

 

I have to confess, I’m not a beer drinker, but there’s someone in my household that loves it, so I had to figure out the truth. Is beer really healthy? Why are the ingredients not listed on the label? Which brands can we trust? Which brands are trying to slowly poison us with cheap and harmful ingredients? All of these questions were going through my head at once at lightning speed. So a year ago, I started to research what was really in beer and after questioning several beer companies, reading books about food science, and talking to experts, the information I discovered was downright shocking.

I see it all the time. Someone who eats organic, makes the right choices at the grocery store, is fit and lives an extraordinarily healthy lifestyle but then drinks beer like it is going out of style.

Caring about what you eat doesn’t necessarily translate into caring about what you drink and this is a HUGE MISTAKE.

Before we get into what exactly is in beer that you should be worried about, let’s talk about how body reacts to alcohol in general.

Alcohol is metabolized by the body differently than all other calories you consume. Alcohol is one of the only substances that you consume that can permeate your digestive system and go straight into your bloodstream. It bypasses normal digestion and is absorbed into the body intact, where it goes straight into the liver.

Your liver is your main fat-burning organ. If you are trying to lose weight or even maintain your ideal weight, drinking alcohol is one of your worst enemies. The liver is going to metabolize alcohol first vs. the fat you want to get rid of – making weight loss even harder. Additionally, one of the primary functions of the liver is to remove environmental toxins from your body – if it is overtaxed with alcohol, the normal removal of these toxins becomes extremely diminished and can result in rapid aging, loss of libido, and other diseases.

The one thing that has gotten me before and I’m sure many of you – is the health marketing claims on alcohol products making drinking them seem like a good idea and an added “benefit” to your health. The low alcohol content of beer makes it appear as an innocuous beverage and something people throw back without even thinking about it. Who hasn’t seen those studies that say a beer a day is great for you (I want to ask who ever stops at just one beer?)?

 

So, inherently, alcohol by itself is not a healthy person’s best friend – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Beer, especially American beer, is made with all sorts of ingredients beyond the basic hops, malt and yeast. There are numerous other ingredients used to clarify, stabilize, preserve, enhance the color and flavor of beer.

When you drink beer, there is almost a 100% chance that you don’t know what you are drinking (unless you quizzed the beer companies like I did). The ingredients in beer are not required by law to be listed anywhere on the label and manufacturers have no legal obligation to disclose the ingredients. For regular beer, calorie levels and percent alcohol are optional and for light beer calories are mandatory but alcohol levels are optional.

Michele Simon, a public health lawyer, author of Appetite for Profit, and president of Eat Drink Politics told me the reason that beer companies don’t disclose ingredients is simple: they don’t have to.

“Ingredient labeling on food products and non-alcoholic beverages is required by the Food and Drug Administration. But a whole other federal agency regulates beer, and not very well. The Department of Treasury – the same folks who collect your taxes – oversees alcoholic beverages. That probably explains why we know more about what’s in a can of Coke than a can of Bud. You can also thank the alcohol industry, which has lobbied for years against efforts to require ingredient labeling.”

I figured if the beer companies aren’t required to tell us the exact list of ingredients, I needed to investigate this for myself and asked them the pointed questions until I got the truth.

Slide1

image001

First of all, I was able to obtain a baseline list of “legal” additives allowed in beer from the book “Chemicals Additives in Beer” by the Center of Science and Public Interest. This list allowed me to ask specific questions about each beer I investigated. For example – beer sold here in America can contain several of the following ingredients:

  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) –  alcohol is already addictive with some people, but with MSG?! Holy smokes.

  • Propylene Glycol (an ingredient found in anti-freeze)

  • Calcium Disodium EDTA (made from formaldehyde, sodium cayanide, and Ethylenediamine)

  • Many different types of sulfites and anti-microbial preservatives (linked to allergies and asthma)

  • Natural Flavors (can come from anything natural including a beavers anal gland)

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup

  • GMO Sugars – Dextrose, Corn Syrup

  • Caramel Coloring (Class III or IV made from ammonia and classified as a carcinogen)

  • FD&C Blue 1 (Made from petroleum, linked to allergies, asthma and hyperactivity)

  • FD&C Red 40 (Made from petroleum, linked to allergies, asthma and hyperactivity)

  • FD&C Yellow 5 (Made from petroleum, linked to allergies, asthma and hyperactivity)

  • Insect-Based Dyes: carmine derived from cochineal insects to color their beer.

  • Animal Based Clarifiers: Findings include isinglass (dried fish bladder), gelatin (from skin, connective tissue, and bones), and casein (found in milk)

  • Foam Control: Used for head retention; (glyceryl monostearate and pepsin are both potentially derived from animals)

  • BPA (Bisphenol A is a component in many can liners and it may leach into the beer. BPA can mimic the female hormone estrogen and may affect sperm count, and other organ functions.)

  • Carrageenan (linked to inflammation in digestive system, IBS and considered a carcinogen in some circumstances)

During my investigation, I couldn’t get a single mainstream beer company to share the full list of ingredients contained in their beer. But I did get some of them to fess up to the use of these ingredients in writing so I’m going to share this information with you now.

Carcinogenic Caramel Coloring

Newcastle, a UK brand, confessed to using what I would consider one of the most controversial food additives. Toasted barley is usually what gives beer its golden or deep brown color, however in this case, Newcastle beer is also colored artificially with caramel color. This caramel coloring is manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creating carcinogenic compounds. If beer companies were required by law to list the ingredients, Newcastle would likely have to have a cancer warning label under California law because it is a carcinogen proven to cause liver tumors, lung tumors, and thyroid tumors in rats and mice.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Many of the beers I questioned contained one or more possible GMO ingredients.

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup (Guinness – unable to provide an affidavit for non-GMO proof)
  • Corn syrup (Miller Light, Coors, Corona, Fosters, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Red Stripe)
  • Dextrose (Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch Light, Michelob Ultra)
  • Corn (Red Stripe, Miller Coors Brand, Anheuser-Busch Brands)

Most beers brewed commercially are made with more GMO corn than barley. Many of the companies I contacted dodged the GMO question – however Miller Coors had a very forthcoming and honest response. They stated “Corn syrup gives beer a milder and lighter-bodied flavor” and “Corn syrups may be derived from a mixture of corn (conventional and biotech.)”, admitting their use of GMOs.

Slide2

Pabst Blue Ribbon responded saying their corn syrup was “special” and “made of carbohydrates and some simple sugars like dextrose and maltose.  The sugars are fermented into alcohol and CO2, and the carbohydrates, both from the corn syrup and the malt, remain in the beers as flavor, color and body components.”

Dextrose and maltose can come from a variety of substances that are sweet, but likely are derived from GMO corn because it is super cheap for a company to use corn instead of fruit or other non-GMO sources. With cheap beer – you are not just getting a cheap buzz, you are getting the worst of the worst.  Just like with cheap fast food – if you don’t invest in your beer – you will be drinking a lower quality product like Pabst Blue Ribbon that is made from GMO Corn and Corn Syrup.

In 2007, Greenpeace found unapproved and experimental GMO Rice strain in Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser, Bud Light) beer. Anheuser-Busch responded saying their US-grown long-grained rice “may have micro levels” of a genetically engineered protein called Liberty Link, but added that the protein is “substantially removed or destroyed” during the brewing of beer sold domestically. Don’t you think it’s hard to trust any beer company that gets caught using experimental food made in a laboratory? GMOs have not been tested long term on human beings and one of the main pesticides (Roundup) they spray on GMO crops are linked to inflammation, cancer and other diseases. 

Guinness

High Fructose Corn Syrup & Fish Bladders

Speaking of trusting companies, let’s get one thing straight, Guinness beer is no longer owned by the Irish, they are now owned by a large beer conglomerate called Diageo and manufactured in over 50 different countries. No matter how many St. Patty’s Day celebrations you’ve had with this dark stout, it’s time to stop because they use high fructose corn syrup in their beer (4/2/14 Update: Guinness Beer claims they do not use high fructose corn syrup any longer, but refuses to disclose ingredient affidavits or full of list of ingredients.) But, Guinness beer also contains isinglass, a gelatin-like substance produced from the swim bladder of a fish. This ingredient helps remove any “haziness,” solids, or yeast byproducts from the beer. Mmmmm… fish bladder sounds delicious, doesn’t? The sneaky thing this beer company does like many of the companies mentioned here today is create an illusion of using the best ingredients when in actuality what they tell you publicly on their websites is a complete farce. On Guinness FAQ’s – they have a question that states: “What are the key ingredients in Guinness” and the answer doesn’t reveal the whole picture – it only states “Our key ingredients – other than inspiration – are roasted, malted barley, hops, yeast and water.” What BS, right?  You have to call, email, question and know the right things to ask to even have a chance at getting the truth. This is insanity.

So What Beers Are Additive and GMO Free?

If you enjoy the occasional beer and wish to maintain your healthy lifestyle, choosing one without GMOs and additives is ideal. Unfortunately, most of the mainstream beers available have additives, but luckily, there are a few that don’t. For example, Sierra Nevada, Heineken, and Amstel Light (7/31/13 UPDATE: It has come to my attention that Heinken USA has changed their formula to use GMOs – I called their customer service line 1-914-681-4100 to confirm and asked for the list of ingredients – the man told me “water, yeast, malted barley and hops” – then I asked if their beer contained any genetically engineered material and he confirmed “YES,” but wouldn’t tell me what ingredients are genetically engineered. They recently changed their formula after my initial research that started in late 2012.) (8/1/13 Update: Heineken reached out to me personally to say their customer service department made an error in telling me and others who called their beer has GMOs. I met with a head brew master and have viewed affidavits from the company and confirmed Heinken and Amstel Light do not contain GMOs – they apologize for the confusion.) appear to be pretty clean (but these companies still wouldn’t disclose the full list of ingredients to me. They did say they use non-GMO grains, no artificial ingredients, stabilizers or preservatives).

German Beers are also a good bet. The Germans are very serious about the purity of their beers and enacted a purity law called “Reinheitsgebot” that requires all German beers to be only produced with a core ingredient list of water, hops, yeast, malted barley or wheat. Advocates of German beers insist that they taste cleaner and some even claim they don’t suffer from hangovers as a result.

An obvious choice to consider is also Certified Organic Beers. They are required by law to not include GMOs and other harmful additives. Organic beers also support environmental friendly practices and reduce the amount of pesticides and toxins in our air, support organic farmers – which is a huge plus. (To this day, the beer drinkers in my family haven’t found one they love so if you have suggestions, please let us know in the comments!)

Craft & Microbrews Beers – For certain local craft and micro beers, you can ask those companies for a list of ingredients and many of them will be up front with you. However, companies like Miller Coors are slowly closing in on craft beers and buying them up one by one… like they did when they created the unique popular variety called Blue Moon (the beer you drink with an orange) and Anhesuer-Busch did this with Rolling Rock and Goose Island Brewery. Make sure your favorite craft and microbrew is still independently owned and controlled before taking a sip.

In the end – if you decide to drink beer, you are definitely drinking at your own risk for more reasons than just the crazy ingredients that could be in them. The key point to remember is – if you like to drink beer and want to be healthy, drink it infrequently and quiz the beer companies for the truth. Find a beer that you can trust and stick with it.

For your reference, here are some important questions to ask your favorite beer company:

  1. What are the ingredients in your beer – all of them from start to finish?

  2. Are any of your ingredients GMO?

  3. Do you use any soy, corn, or rice processing ingredients? (Examples include: dextrose, corn syrup, etc.)

  4. Do you add any natural, artificial flavors or colors to the beer? (Examples include:  yellow #5, caramel coloring, red #40, MSG, natural flavors)

  5. Are there any additional preservatives, stabilizers and/or clarifying agents added to your beer during processing? (Examples include: propylene glycol, Calcium Disodium EDTA, anything ending in “sulfite” like sodium metabisulfite, Heptylparaben, isinglass)

If you know someone who drinks beer – share this post with them.

These ingredients are no joke. We must inform and protect each other from these industrial chemicals, untested and potentially harmful ingredients and it starts by sharing your knowledge with the ones you love.

Bottoms up!

Food Babe

 

Enjoying Dinner copy

UPDATE: In June 2014, I launched a petition to ask the two most popular beer companies in the U.S., Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors, to publish the complete ingredient lists for all of their beers online. Within only 24 hours, the petition received over 40,000 signatures and gained exposure on several mainstream media outlets including ABC News, USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. This same day, Anheuser-Busch announced that they would agree to publish their complete ingredients online, and MillerCoors quickly followed suit. Anheuser-Busch has since published the ingredients for several of their beers online (they have not published all of them), revealing that some contain high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, and other additives. MillerCoors also listed ingredients on their website for many beers which contain corn syrup (GMO), high fructose corn syrup, sucrose (sugar), and natural flavors. 
 
UPDATE: In October 2015 Guinness announced that they are stopping the use of isinglass in their refining process so that their beer will become vegan-friendly.
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1,465 responses to “The Shocking Ingredients In Beer

  1. All you haters out there complaining should go an do your own research before buying any product. I’ve love what the Food Babe does but I also do my own research. If you disagree, great, make your “respectful comment and keep doing what your doing it’s your like.

    I found some good organic beers and love them. I’m sure you could do the same.

    Thanks Food Babe.

    1. I can second Sam Smiths the are veggie friendly too but not all their beers are organic the cherry Belgian one is really nice. In England you can meet the brewers easily one does a farmers market locally and happily dish the dirt on the rivals but generally are pretty straight.

  2. Mill Street Organic is a delicious beer in my opinion, and before I stopped drinking it was the only one I really enjoyed. However I’m not sure if it’s available outside of Canada (or Ontario for that matter) as it is made in Toronto. Take a look and have your family try it if it’s available!

    1. Shhh…..I can’t give up wine! If she finds bad stuff there I’ll have to become a hippocrite. 🙁

  3. I have found this beer review very helpful, my family owns a local bar and i sometimes drink Heineken on slow nights or sometimes even a small glass of wine. but now i am more aware of these GMO sneaky companies. you are right about them and thank you so much food babe.

  4. The name “shocking” in this article shows what’s the intention of this. There’s nothing new, and the companies are not hiding anything. Most of the things mentioned here as “aditives” are part of the process of ANY beer production. I make beer at home, and I use Isinglass, Carragenin, and Dextrose. They’re not aditives. The Carragenin and Isinglass are used to make the residual solids fall to the bottom of the recipient, and after fermentation it is discarded. The dextrose, corn syrup, etc, are added for fermentation and to carbonate the beer, so basically it is transformed in alcohol and CO2, the so called “foam control” comes from oat, and so on with a lot of the things mentioned here. If you’re going to irresponsibly publish something “shocking” to people who don’t know the process, at least try to investigate a little more on how those items (not aditives) are used, unless you are just trying to generate controversy.

    1. This post is directed @ Daniel Helmond. It IS Shocking. Obviously, not everyone brews beer. As someone who does NOT brew beer I am shocked and upset. Corn syrup is COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. They should implement the purity law here in America since companies seem to not be able to brew beer ETHICALLY without the fear of legislation to keep them all in check. It seems everyone is out to compete to see who makes the cheapest most toxic products out there.
      You may know how to brew beer according to modern “standards” but you are still the typical, IGNORANT, condescending American fool that the rest of the world can’t stand. I grew up in a household where my mother was always up to date on everything health related so I grew up knowing how to avoid the poisons that most Americans eat. I loudly applaud the effort that Food babe is doing to inform the general public. If people are not “shocked”, who do you think is gonna push the even further ignorant left and right wing politicians who are running this country into the ground. The people, that’s who. Therefore the people need to be informed. Thank you food babe. Honestly I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of alcohol containing drinks being an issue.

      1. Rick P, I applaud you. Thank you for your response which echos many others of us!

      2. Rick, most of the “shocking” ingredients here are discarded or filtered before the beer is ready. Corn syrup, por example, is transformed in alcohol, and the residues are filtered prior to bottling. It’s true that they don’t have a purity law, but that doesn’t mean they are adding toxic waste to the mix. Actually, the alcohol produced is more toxic than any of the ingredients. If you drink beer or wine excessively, you will have liver problems and addiction problems way before other problems related to one of the ingredients. It’s true that common people don’t know this proccess, but that doesn’t make it shocking.
        Also, I have not been disrespectful with you, so I would appreciate the same from your side.

    2. Thank you for your informed response. The people responding to you in hysterics clearly do not possess a rudimentary understanding of chemistry and neither does the author of this blog.

      1. Sandra and Daniel – The reason many people here find this “shocking” has nothing to do with an understanding of chemistry. It has to do with companies deliberately leaving these ingredients off their packages, leaving consumers unable to make an educated choice about what they put into their bodies. It shouldn’t require emails and an expose to be certain of what chemicals one is ingesting when they consume a beer.

        To that end, the makers of organic and many craft beers (who DO have an understanding of chemistry) are able to produce a product free of said chemicals. So there is scientific proof that beer, can in fact, be made without the use of known toxins. Bringing us to the assumption that large companies use these chemicals because it is cheaper/faster/etc., which is something most people in this community get “hysterical” about anyway.

        But what do I know? I obviously don’t understand chemistry.

  5. What is the problem with fish bladder? its a fining agent that clarifies beer. its not like its bad for you.

    1. In fact, fish bladder is most likely GOOD for you, as it probably contains lots of collagens and Omega-3.
      Prost!

      1. Fish derived Omega-3s are high in cholesterol which is associated with premature cognitive decline. ~ See Power Foods for the Brain by Neal Barnard

  6. This post’s title is misleading. I agree with everything BUT the title. It is NOT the shocking truth of beer; it is the shocking truth of NON-organic, NON-craft beer.

  7. Hello Food Babe,
    Can you tell me about the Mexican beers like Tecate and Pacifico? We drink those regularly and I just want to have informed decisions. Thanks for the information!

  8. Hi Food Babe,
    I just posted this to my FB and sent it to my contact list:

    Curious about the recent posts on FB about Guinness having High Fructose Corn Syrup and Fish Bladder (and a bit skeptical as she doesn’t post updates when nasty ingredients are removed), I contacted Guinness. Their representative’s response is first, and my final response is below.

    On Oct 10, 2013, at 1:03 PM, DIAGEO Consumer Care wrote:

    Hi Kahualani,

    Thank you for your reply.
    Please be assured that we do not use high fructose corn syrup in Guinness Beer anywhere around the world. As previously mentioned, we are unable to provide a full list of ingredients as it is considered proprietary information. If there is a specific ingredient you would like to inquire about we would be more than happy to assist you.

    Sincerely,
    Eliza
    Guinness Consumer Representative
    Cheers! Drinking Responsibly is Brilliant!!

    ********************************************************
    Hi Eliza,
    While I do appreciate your reply, I’m not going to play guessing games to eek out your ingredient list. I feel strongly to dismiss the importance of your consumers knowing the ingredients is not only negligent but deceptive, especially to vegans and those who do not ingest animal matter for religious and spiritual reasons. I feel you treating my ingredient inquiry as if I were inquiring as to the recipe for the “Guinness Essence” is disingenuous.

    You’ve gotten too big for your britches, Guinness, I’m buying local. You just lost one customer and I’ve BCC’d everyone on my contact list.

    Sincerely,
    Kahualani Aitken
    Loyal Customer since 1995

    Here’s my take:

    1. Food Babe!!! On the link below you wrote, “Speaking of trusting companies, let’s get one thing straight, Guinness beer is no longer owned by the Irish, they are now owned by a large beer conglomerate called Diageo and manufactured in over 50 different countries. No matter how many St. Patty’s Day celebrations you’ve had with this dark stout, it’s time to stop because they use high fructose corn syrup in their beer.” Guinness denies using HFCS. Do you have proof to back up your claim?

    2. Guinness uses fish, so vegans and those who don’t want to harm fish to drink beer, take note.

    3. Guinness doesn’t think it’s important for their customers to know the ingredients in their beer. I disagree. Your choice my friends.

    1. I have an email from company headquarters stating they do use high fructose corn syrup. Since receiving this note, I’ve contacted the company and asked again for verification and received no response when I requested an affidavit stating they do not use HFCS.

      1. FoodBabe, that’s great to hear. I received an email stating they do not use HFCS and posted mine above. Why don’t you post your email with the confirmation that they do (or did)?

        I’m 100% about holding companies accountable for their ingredients, I want very much to know what is in my beer; however, since you do not post retractions I cannot follow your guidance implicitly.

  9. You can publish these posts as soon as you launch, before you have subscribers,
    to draw search engine traffic to the site without having to send awkward titles to anyone’s
    blog subscription later on. This should not be a problem if you know what to look out for.

    Another reason to employ a consultant is their
    ability to write search engine friendly content as this is the main method of generating prominent listings in Google, Yahoo and Bing.

  10. Hi,
    Thanks for this article. I have a question anyone can answer for me: do Bud Light Lime and Labatt Blue Light fit in these categories? Any assistance is appreciated. I’ll definitely share this info with others.

  11. Hiya. Today utilizing live messenger. This is the definitely tactically written content. I shall be likely to take a note of the idea and come time for know more of one’s useful data. Thanks for the publish. I am going to surely recovery.

  12. This site is a typical eample of what is an unfortunate part of our lives these days. A one sided atttack on the food industry from someone on the misinformed finge that thinks if they read a book and talk to a few people the whole industry is is trying ot kill us. This is a typical example of the old addage, a bit of information is potential for a whole lot of trouble. The trouble here being total opinion and misinformation to a eager pulic made to think food companies are trying to kill is. NOT TRUE.

    Using descriptions like “which brands are trying to poison us” is obviously used for readers impact and not based on experience or intelligence. I’ve been in thousands of marketing meetings, food product development situations, line extensions and reformulations within the confidential confines of many companies, small to international and had access to extensive private documents and none, I repeat none, have ever desired, spoke of, mentioned or ever stated or implied any desire to poison or cheat consumers. The food and beverage industry are so market driven companies over test their products and decide extensively to produce products on what consumers desire, want and prefer. If anyone wants to change to a company, just “DON’T BUY IT”.

    Rather, ignorant misinformative fringe driven blogs like this get published.
    Or maybe it should be called blah, not blog.

    People should avoid this blah like the plague and find a food and beverage information site thats truthful and honest and gives realistic information.

  13. would’ve been a much better post with a listing of specific beers and their shocking ingredients listed. commercial american beers are garbage, and unfit for serious beer drinkers.

  14. I am confused…. I thought GMO & Organic are actually “different”. As in… A farmer can be “organic” (no pesticides) BUT be growing a GMO variety (like, corn or tomatoes)….

    I am under the impression this is a common confusion for consumers but they are “different’.

    Am I wrong?

  15. Thank you so much for this article. I am one person who cannot consume HFCS. I have a terrible itching reaction to it and it is in so many things now. I ate out Sat night with my husband had three sips out of his draft beer and now I will be itching for the next ten days! I had no idea it was being put into beers. 🙁 Makes me so mad. HFCS should be removed from all foods.

    It took me 30 years to figure out it was the HFCS that was causing my yeast infection like symptoms (no discharge just intense itching). My daughter was the one who keyed in on the HFCS being the cause. It really makes me wonder how many other women are suffering under the misconception its just a female imbalance. It can be avoided but we have to know what its being put into.

    Geesh beer companies we don’t want to steal your recipes we just want to live healthy and happy lives. Tell us whats in your beer so we can drink it if we choose.

  16. We appreciate you the particular good writeup. The idea in reality once was your excitement account this. Look complex in order to far more launched pleasant from you finding out! Nonetheless, just how might most of us be in contact?

  17. Mmmh, I love eating and drinking poisonous ingredients that give me bowel problems, brain problems, liver problems and kidney problems.

    Mmmhhmmmhh! I love poison, can you sell me some more while you tell me about how cheap and safe it is?

  18. Someone should tell this person that thinking for yourself requires “self-awareness” hence the term. Thinking for others, or allowing others to think for you, no matter if you’re being violent or not, requires brainwashing and mental weakening.

  19. Eeeeeww. Either you’re an idiot or a shill paid by the companies.

    Propylene Glycol caused severe reactions on my skin and depression and mood disorders to my mind.

    Those are CHEMICALS THAT RESULT IN TOXICITY. No way around it.

  20. Thanks for mention our German Beer,, I am not a Beer Drinker, but I do know from many people ,including Americans, how bad American Beer is.
    During Medieval Times Monks used Beer a s Medicine example :to cure illnesses like pneumonia and other respiratory problems.
    A few Beers a week is still consider healthy in Germany ,like Wine in France.
    Keep the information coming, US needs a lot of Education about their Food

  21. Hi, very informative. I think if an article like this one gets people thinking about what goes into the beer they drink; it can only be a good thing. I personally only drink German Beer because of the Reinheitsgebot purity law or UK locally Cask Conditioned Ales. I’ve made this choice because i’ve never trusted what the big beer manufacturers put in the drinks and more importantly you must wonder what those chemicals are doing to your body.

    good effort food babe.
    Gav (UK)

  22. Sorry FoodBabe, this is a stupid and ridiculous argument about Guinness. So what if they use corn syrup, it’s just a form of sugar to GET FERMENTED. It all turns to alcohol in the process. There is no corn syrup left after the process. And the fish bladders….isinglas…………get real, virtually every wine you drink that is not cloudy goes through the same process. This hit piece, made strictly out of ignorance should not find a home on a website like this. Your garbage reporting will keep me from ever trusting this site again.

  23. Mill St Organic is a fantastic beer from Toronto, Ontario. If you friends don’t like it that’s unfortunate!

  24. I love your posts and all the research you do. I love researching too, but I’ve never thought to research beer. I lived in Germany for many years and I LOVED their beer. My most favorite beer is “Weitzen or Weizen beer” (pronounced Vi-t-zen). It is an unusual tasting beer, but it was my favorite. You can drink it dark or regular. That’s it for my German beer suggestion, however I have another question.

    Have you done the same research on Wines? Additionally, where do I find organic beer, wine, brandy, liqueurs, etc.?

    Thank you for all your hard work, Carol

  25. Food Babe, you are on point but you should consider changing the title from The Shocking Ingredients in Beer to the Shocking Ingredients in Megabrewery beer.

    There is a distinction with craft beers and no craft Beer Connoisseur would ever drink any of products from Budweiser, Coors, Miller, etc.. These mass produced products are poison and most craft beer drinkers will tell you its why both craft alcohol and craft foods are going to lead to change. The problem is many of the craft brewers are being acquired secretly by the mega brewers Goose Island, ShockTop, BluePoint are all part of the Budweiser Empire.

    An obvious choice is certified organic beer, which cannot include GMOs and other harmful additives by law.

    The concern with Craft Beers is allergies, as they become more creative there are beers brewed with items like peanut butter, etc. Many craft beer companies will give you a complete list of ingredients if you ask.

    Keep it up you are amazing and a great resource…

  26. Alcohol is in fact, good for you health. Non drinkers suffer from higher rates of heart attacks and much higher rates of strokes. Countries with higher alcohol consumptions tend to he healthier as well. Stress is one of the worst things for your health, and drinking really helps you relax if you’re reasonable about it. Fish bladders? Sounds good to me. I have no problem consuming them. But I do have a problem with GMOs. If you drink beer that’s from a local microbrewery, it’s reasonably safe to assume that they use good ingredients.

  27. Wow this is so shocking and scary! My husband drinks a beer called Stoney’s Beer and they claim to be “the natural alternative” that’s what the box says it also says it is a smooth, refreshing all grain beer. Could it still be GMO?

  28. Food babe is dedicated to fighting against unscrupulous company’s tactics. It takes so much courage to fight for what is often met with antagonistic ignorance. People feel so threatened by anyone who is seen as a pioneer. It’s as if, God forbid, anyone tread on their right to eat toxic, GMO food, or utilize toxic cosmetic industry products. These are the same people who are sick, obese, and addicted to pharmaceuticals and OTC drugs. It’s a mindset; a herd mentality from which fear is born. I’m not interested in anyone’s grammar. I’m only interested in you if you are able to be challenged without feeling threatened by your status quo existence. I’m interested in you if you are able to open your heart, mind and soul to new experiences. We don’t always have to agree, but attacking someone for standing up against injustice is just cowardly. You want to eat toxic junk and use toxic hygiene products, go for it. You’ll pay the price later with hefty doctor and hospital bills. And your family will end up suffering because you refuse to look at truth in the face. Peace. Finally, thank you, Foodbabe, for your courageous fight against health/environmental injustice. Keep up the good fight. We support you.

  29. It seems Bert, in his July 31st, 2013 comment above, does not take into consideration what minute amounts–like homeopathic amounts– can do. Many people avoid fluoride, whether in water or in toothpaste, for very good reason; and I wish they would not have at dental cleanings. It has even been reported to have been rat poison.

  30. My comment about the fluoride problem, referred to Bert’s comment of July 31st, 2013–saying it was a comment posted above. Then I noticed my comment was posted above his; so, his comment could be found posted below my comment.

  31. The alcohol in beer/wine/liquor itself is a group 1 carcinogen. 3.5% of all cancer deaths are attributed to alcohol consumption.

    If you’re worried about glyphosate GMO (a group 4 carcinogen, non-cancerous) residues in minute amounts rather than ingesting something that’s 5-20% weight by volume pure carcinogen then you should probably re-evaluate what your priorities are in regards to health.

    This is absolutely crazy talk. The shocking ingredient in beer is the 5%+ volume of pure carcinogenic ethanol.

    I thought this was a health and awareness site. Go figure.

  32. Interesting article! What I have noticed is many men who drink bear have pop bellies due to an overgrowth from the yeast. I do not drink beer nor any alcohol. Corn, sugar, and yeast for processing beer is harmful to health, because many people have allergies to them. Juicing with vegetables makes a wonderful and healthy drink.

  33. Isn’t Guinness brewed in Ireland? They have banned GMO’s and no one uses HFCS outside of N. America.

  34. Thank you so much for this article. Was very relieved to find that most German breweries are on the level. Did your research happen to include any Belgian breweries? I love Trappist ales and sours and would be surprised if they contained any GMO product but want to be sure.

  35. “Who ever stops after one beer?”

    Lots of people, thousands, maybe even millions. When I drink beer, I almost never have even a second one. I realize that I may not be “the norm,” but I am not that far off. And after that one, it may be weeks before I have another!

    The question may have been intended to be rhetorical, but putting it in parentheses just draws attention to it, making an answer necessary.

    1. Olympia Brand is currently owned by Pabst Brewing (aka PBR) and brewed under contract by a Miller Brewery in Nor Cal for Pabst – so I’d seriously doubt it is al l natural – My father is a long time Oly Drinker and says the current stuff is crap – not real Oly

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