On June 11, 2014, I launched a petition to ask 2 major beer companies – Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors to disclose their ingredients online. The alcohol industry lobbied for years to keep this information secret from us – and now finally due to your support, signatures and activism, we’re finally going to get some information. The Food Babe Army succeeded where other organizations have not. To think beer companies have gotten away with this for decades is mind-boggling.
“This is pretty incredible: 24 hours, and 43,000 signatures after her petition went online, Vani Hari, aka the “Food Babe,” has convinced Anheiser-Busch to publicly reveal the list of ingredients for its beers. To put that into context, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been lobbying the government to require beer companies to list their ingredients — something they’re not currently required to do by law — for three decades.” – Salon
I am so amazed by the power of the #FoodBabeArmy. What we have done is truly astonishing. In just one day, we received not only responses from these huge multi-billion dollar corporations, but they are already taking steps in the right direction and beginning to publish their ingredients online. But the fight is not over, I’m still going to need you to pay attention and learn the facts about what’s happening right now. I spent last weekend gathering this critical information to share with you – I want you to have all the details.
On the afternoon of June 12, 2014, I received a phone call and a letter from Anheuser-Busch, in which they told me that they they will agree to publish their ingredients online at TapIntoYourBeer.com and invited me to meet with their head brewmasters in St. Louis. When I heard the news, I was obviously thrilled (one of my lovely team members took a photo right at that moment, see below). I had been thinking and preparing for this petition for almost a year and was honestly quite shocked at the fast response.
Unfortunately, they decided only to post ingredient lists for Budweiser and Bud Light, initially. Obviously, this is not enough and I’m really looking forward to seeing the ingredient lists for their remaining beers as promised in the coming days. I am keeping very close tabs on this and will update you when all the ingredients for all of their beers are posted. I am looking forward to visiting Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis to learn more about their ingredient disclosures and talk to their brewmasters. That being said – I don’t think there’s any excuse for them to delay the listing of their other brands on their website, including the ingredients in Bud Light Lime which I was told contains high fructose corn syrup by their customer service representative after repeated inquiries and Stella Artois which reportedly contains caramel coloring:
This petition is all about transparency.
I want these companies to be open and honest about all of the ingredients they use to make some of the most popular beers in this country. With over 55,000 signatures, it’s apparent that the public overwhelmingly wants to know what ingredients go into the beers they drink, and the American Medical Association is on the record showing support for more transparency about ingredients, “based on health, safety, religious and other concerns, the public desires and deserves accurate information on ingredients and potential allergens in alcoholic beverages”.
Despite all of this, MillerCoors initially didn’t agree to publish ingredients and in an early interview with ABC News they stated that their ingredients were “proprietary information”. It was only after they felt the heat from Anheuser-Busch’s announcement, that MillerCoors quickly announced that they had also agreed to publish ingredients online. When I saw their announcement on their facebook page, I nearly leaped out of my chair – only to learn that they were once again trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Unlike Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors did not reach out me by phone or email, they sent me a simple Tweet. The tweet linked to a short list of “ingredients” for only 8 of their beers on their Facebook page:
They have since posted this same list on their website here. Keep in mind, MillerCoors has over 40 brands of beer here in the U.S., so I’d hardly call this a comprehensive list.
I knew immediately that they were not telling us the complete truth, and that they were definitely not giving us the kind of transparency that we’re asking for. It was obvious to me that MillerCoors was scrambling to put something (anything) online, so they didn’t look bad in the wake of their competitor’s announcement. However – they made some major mistakes in doing so.
MISTAKE #1 – Failing To List Corn Syrup As An Ingredient
Prior to launching my petition a week ago, my team and I sent dozens of emails to MillerCoors asking them to disclose the ingredients in several of their beers. This was not a simple undertaking, as they told us their ingredients were proprietary. We asked them specific questions about ingredients, including the use of hop extracts, colorings, stabilizers, and GMOs – and most of them went unanswered. However, we were able to obtain some concrete information. In one particular email from MillerCoors Customer Service they told me that “corn syrup” is one of the main ingredients “used in all our beers“. Check out the screenshot of this email from their customer service agent:
So, why is MillerCoors now just listing “corn” and not “corn syrup” as an ingredient on their website? It sure looks like they don’t want to give us the full story and know it will look bad if they tell us the truth about corn syrup being an ingredient. Of course, I immediately confronted them with this information, and they responded that “the corn we use is a liquid corn brewing adjunct”. Natural News did an exclusive interview with me on this issue last week, which was also reported in Beverage Daily. While I don’t know what brand of liquid adjunct they use, if it’s anything like this one by Cargill it’s supposed to be labeled as “corn syrup” and it’s trademarked as corn syrup. One reporter from USA Today revealed the truth – that it is in fact “corn syrup” being used by MillerCoors.
MISTAKE #2 – Failing To List Rice As An Ingredient In Coors Banquet
As you can see in their email above, they also told me that rice was an ingredient in Coors Banquet – yet they are not disclosing this as an ingredient on their new webpage. Is there rice in Coors Banquet, or not? Why are they publishing something different online than what customer service told me a couple weeks ago?
And then I remembered – they have been known to change their story in the past, depending on who you talk to. When I wrote my beer investigation last summer, MillerCoors told me via email that they used GMO corn in their beers. However when I called them up last week, the customer service agent on the phone told me that they do not use any GMO products. But then when I emailed them again last week, they said they do use biotech corn. Do they think it’s okay to just make this stuff up? What should we believe?
MISTAKE #3 – Failing To List Corn As An Ingredient In Blue Moon
Rice is not the only thing that MillerCoors left off their ingredient list. They published the ingredients for Blue Moon Belgian White on their website as, “water, barley malt, wheat, oats, yeast, hops, orange peel and coriander”. This is in direct contradiction to what their customer service agents told me a couple weeks ago, in which they said that “corn syrup” is an ingredient in Blue Moon:
I’m not the only one they told this to. According to Barnivore, Blue Moon said, “Corn syrup is one of the basic ingredients used in most Blue Moon products as US consumers prefer its taste“. Clearly – corn syrup is an ingredient in Blue Moon beer, but they are now trying to hide that fact and are blatantly lying to us on the ingredient list posted on their website!
This really makes me wonder. What else has MillerCoors left off their “ingredient disclosure”?
I would like to think that MillerCoors would do their due diligence and make sure that the ingredients that they post online are accurate and at least comply with FD&C Act labeling guidelines, as it appears Anheuser-Busch said they will be doing. These mistakes made by MillerCoors are surprising. Especially in light of the huge media exposure that our petition generated, which has been featured all over the world and has shown the power of the Food Babe Army. Several people have been coming out of the woodwork, calling us names, trying to discredit some of the claims I’ve made about the ingredients that are being used in beer. I’m going to address that now, because you deserve to know the truth.
“Propylene Glycol Alginate” is added to beer as a foam stabilizer.
There are a few blog posts circulating that indicate propylene glycol is used in the external chilling system at breweries and that it’s never is added to beer. They go as far to say that the only way it could be in beer is if there is a tank leak. Well, I’m not talking about leaking tanks here. The chemical Propylene Glycol Alginate (PGA) is added to some beers as a stabilizer for foam control and it is sold as an additive under various commercial names such as Stabilfoam. Another potential source of PGA is as a carrier for some “natural flavors” in fruit-flavored and cider beers. Propylene Glycol is added to many foods and drinks, it’s a very common food additive and I see it on ingredient lists everywhere at the grocery store. I know this because ingredient lists are on those items – but rarely on beer. In Germany, Propylene Glycol Alginate is listed as an ingredient on this bottle of Corona as “E405 Alginat” (the European food additive number for Propylene Glycol is E405), and you will also find it on this ingredient list on Sinebrychoff’s website in Finland. So, I’m really curious to know if and what other beers Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors may add this ingredient to.
Don’t you find it interesting that Anheuser-Busch InBev is required to label Corona in Germany but not here? They clearly have the ingredient list and have to do this in other countries – why aren’t they labeling it for us? This is another example of how beer companies exploit our interests as American citizens.
If corn syrup is used as an adjunct, it should be on the ingredient list.
Adjuncts (corn, rice, corn syrup, dextrose) are used by some brewers instead of, or in conjunction with, barley malt. Some argue that corn syrup is just added as an adjunct to feed the yeast, and doesn’t end up in the final product. They suggest that for this reason, corn syrup shouldn’t be on the ingredient list. The sugar in traditional beer comes from the barley malt, so would you say that barley malt isn’t an ingredient in beer? During my investigation last year, Anheuser-Busch admitted to me on the phone that they use dextrose (likely made from genetically engineered corn). And as shown email above, MillerCoors said they use corn syrup as an adjunct in their beers. Also in an email, Pabst Blue Ribbon told me their corn syrup is a blend of simple sugars like “dextrose and maltose.” There is no reason to keep this a secret from the public.
Fining agents that are added to beer should be disclosed so consumers can make an informed choice.
Beer makers often use processing aides to remove yeast from beer, and one of these is an animal product. Some beer bloggers are saying fish swim bladder (isinglass) is something not be concerned about. I’m not saying this is a harmful additive and I know it’s been used for centuries to make beer. However, they are saying that it all stays in the fermenter and does not end up in the final product, so it should not be on the label. I’m not personally convinced that these fining agents are completely left behind in the tank bottom, especially since Guinness admits that their beer may contain trace amounts. Who has tested their beer to see how high these “trace amounts” may be and is willing to share those results? This is a real issue for vegans & vegetarians, whether it ends up in their bottle of beer or not, they deserve to know if an animal product was used in its production. Instead of isinglass, some breweries use food-grade carrageenan (from Irish Moss) that is linked to colon inflammation and colon cancer in animals. Food-grade carrageenan has also been shown to be contaminated with degraded (non-food grade) carrageenan, which is a carcinogen. Samuel Adams admitted via email that they use carrageenan to process their beers, yet I did not find this information on their website or label. As trace amounts may remain in beer, consumers should be able to make an informed choice on whether they will consume beer that was processed with these fining agents, so these should be publicly disclosed.
If “Hop Extracts” are used we want to know about it.
Some brewers don’t use whole hops or hop pellets but rather a chemically altered hop extract to add bitterness while reducing the amount of actual hops in the beer. One reason behind this is apparently to keep the beer from getting that skunky smell that is caused by hops exposed to light (light struck). This allows the beer manufacturer to provide “trendy” packaging while maintaining a long shelf life. Watertown Hops Company is a subsidiary of MillerCoors, a manufacturer of hop extracts, and MillerCoors has also patented hop extracts. Several email inquires MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch in which we asked if they use any hop extracts have gone completely unanswered to date – I plan on asking Anheuser-Busch about this in person when I see them in a few weeks. When a soda company sweetens a drink with stevia extract (instead of whole stevia leaf) it will be designated as an extract on the ingredient list. Likewise, if a bottled tea is made with a tea extract instead brewed tea leaves, it’s listed as an extract or concentrate on the ingredient list. It’s all about giving us the whole picture about what is really being used to make the products that we drink – and we deserve to know the truth.
This feeble attempt at transparency is not going to work.
Please continue to show your support by signing this petition to demand full transparency on all of the ingredients being used by MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch. Here’s where you’ll find the MillerCoors Facebook and Twitter pages to let them know that they’re still serving #MysteryBeer – and ask them to disclose all ingredients including corn syrup, rice, propylene glycol, caramel coloring, fining agents and hop extracts.
As a consumer who votes with their dollar (like many of you out there), having this information is critical to know whether to support these companies or not. I thank everyone for moving the needle this week – the more transparency we have the better! I love watching what happens when concerned citizens come together.
#FoodBabeArmy – you are a force to be reckoned with!
Please share this major update with everyone you know.
Much Love,
Vani
P.S. If you are looking for some clean beer options without fining agents or additives, check this list we put together.
P.P.S. Our work was mentioned in major news outlets all over the globe, here’s a sampling if you’d like to get caught up:
- Why Big Food Fears The Food Babe – Toronto Star
- What’s in a bottle of Budweiser? Online petition convinces Anheuser-Busch to tell all – Salon
- Food Babe wins battle with King of Beers – Financial Times (front page!)
- AB Bows: Agrees to Post Ingredients – USA Today
- Top Beer Makers To Post Ingredients Online – ABC News
- Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients – AP
P.P.P.S. Remember this quote always:
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi
WHAT GREAT WORK!! You are making such an impact on these companies and they have gotten away with so much for far too long. It’s time to make customers a priority and not keep them in the dark. Awesome job!
Awesome work! I would also like Sam Adams to disclose their ingredients as well. I’m assuming they very likely use GMO ingredients in their beer but I’m wondering about additives, etc.
I did get confirmation they are using carrageenan.
Carrageenan, also known as Irish Moss is used by most every homebrewer… this is no big secret. It is commonly used as a clarifying agent in the process of brewing (beer), particularly in homebrewing. A small amount is boiled with the wort, attracting proteins and other solids, which is then removed from the mixture after cooling.
Vani, You are an inspiration! I am so happy I found you site. Please keep up the amazing work.
Janette
Ken- eh, your statement is not entirely true. There are plenty of homebrewers who choose not to use carrageenan, nor isinglass. here’s just ONE example I found…. http://www.vthomebrewguru.com/tag/carrageenan/
missifa,
How is Ken’s statement not entirely true. He didn’t say all home brewers, he said most. He said commonly used, not always used. If you are going to nitpick someone’s post, you better be correct in your analysis.
missjfa… did you read my comment??
Additionally, Irish Moss. Irish Moss is actually a seaweed, also known as Carrageenan. …That comes from the link you provided… http://www.vthomebrewguru.com/tag/carrageenan/
That person goes on to say that his beer tasted like iodine. Strange, I have used Irish Moss since the early 90s in every batch of beer I have ever brewed and have brewed 100s of batches of beer and have never once ever had my beer taste like iodine nor any other bad flavor that could be attributed to Irish Moss. Irish Moss is not harmful, it’s seaweed for goodness sake, and you add very tiny amount to beer in the last few minutes of the brewing process. I wish people wouldn’t talk about stuff they know nothing about.
I don’t understand. I homebrew everything from hard Apple cider to beer to honey wine. I never have problems with “unstable” foam and most of the time they are pretty clear without adding junk to clarify them. Not to mention the flavors are so much better than any of the big label junk….
You have to consider your beer is not being packaged, transported nor will it sit on a shelf. That is a big difference in terms of processing.
What I am referring to is this https://foodbabe.com/2013/07/17/the-shocking-ingredients-in-beer/
I don’t care about shelf life of my beer…I am concerned about MY shelf life. If that was more important to more people then the food and drink industry would start to listen…
Beer is obviously pretty nasty stuff; best to avoid it completely-these companies will never completely disclose their ingredients.
Beer is probably the most basic form of a beverage in terms of ingredients and has been that way for thousands of years. Until recent history have these big beer giants added adjunct ingredients to cut costs. Next time take a look at the ingredients of Coke or Dr. Pepper and tell me which one is safer.
Drink CRAFT BEER!!
I agree I only drink Craft beer. All the example beers she has used I wouldn’t drink if it was the last “beer” left on earth!
Drink German beer like Becks, St. Pauli Girl etc. They adhere strictly to the German Beer Purity Law of 1516. You won’t find any horseplay in their brew.
Airborne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HUH?
That is pretty funny or sad…. not sure which.
No they don’t.
Because the 1516 Text was repealed in 1616.
Because the 1516 Text never mentioned yeast, only water, barley and hops. So all those wheat beers do not abide to it.
Because the current german beer legislation allows hop extracts, clarifying agents that can be removed mechanically (such as PVPP, a powdered plastic material), and allows for exceptions when beers are destined for export. So drinking German beer outside of Germany is no guarantee whatsoever. Not that it’s much of a Guarantee in Germany either.
Well done, Vani!!
Is there possibly any more “male ego” than the “brain trust” of a major beer bottler like Miller and Coors???
Geez Louise.
This is very dangerous when a group of individuals live under the false pretenses that the rules don’t apply to them. Like they’re “above” the law.
Absolutely disgusting.
One more reason to give up drinking beer. (Sigh!)
Thank you Kevin. I’m really sad that I have to even write articles like this. I would much rather enjoy a big celebration of the news – but I can’t just sit back and let this deception happen. It’s unethical and immoral and has to stop!
I’m proud of you Food Babe! You did an excellent job & I like that you & your team are Standing Tall! Keep up the awesome work! I love it that Finally Someone is Investigating the unknown!!
I’ll be going with safe imports when I imbibe. I have a few Guinness rotting in my fridge, if anyone wants…….
Great job! I’d ike to see a list of beer companies and beers whose ingredients I can trust, so I can support them. Would you consider putting such a list together? Thanks!
First P.S. at the bottom of the post –
https://foodbabe.com/cleanbeer
I’d be super grateful if you could research and add some gluten free beers to your list of Clean beers.
I don’t understand why your clean beer list does not incluse Sierra Nevada beers. They are most definitely clean.
I don’t understand why your list of clean beers does not include Sierra Nevada beers, as they are most definitely clean.
Todd – I found out Sierra Nevada is non-GMO, however they are using carrageenan as a fining agent… The list I provide is free of those.
Thanks Vani. Sorry for the double-post. I am sorry to hear that Sierra Nevada uses carragenan-I did not know that. Appreciate the info.
Seriously, what is the problem with Carrageenan? Carrageenan also known as Irish Moss is used by most every homebrewer… this is no big secret. It is commonly used as a clarifying agent in the process of brewing (beer), particularly in homebrewing. A small amount is boiled with the wort, attracting proteins and other solids, which is then removed from the mixture after cooling.
Irish Moss is actually a seaweed. Irish Moss is not harmful, it’s seaweed for goodness sake, and you add very tiny amount to beer in the last few minutes of the brewing process.
What ingredients are in milk? I have been told that pasteurized milk contains formaldehyde. Is this true? Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen.
Powdered formaldehyde is used to clean milk tanks at dairy farms. Its residue is left to coat the sides of the tank. I have seen one farmer add extra powder to increase the residue, in order to kill bacteria in the raw milk. Low bacteria means you get the best price. Buyers test the milk and pay a much lower price if they find too much bacteria because that milk can not be used for whole milk, but only for milk by-products. So, formaldehyde is not an ingredient, but is present as a residue.
THank you for doing this. I am allergic to corn, and had no idea that so many of these beers contain corn and corn syrup! I am definately going to have to do some research before I travel this summer to find which ones are safe for me to drink! The research I did into some small Canadian micro-breweries had me thinking that I was safe from corn when drinking beer, because none of them used it!
Good job once again!
Time to home brew!
Does anyone know if Heinekin or Dos Equis are free of these additives?
When you buy crap beer there is going to be crap in it. Develop a pallet and start drinking LOCAL brewed beers. Then you can just ask the brewmaster in the 4 tank establishment if they use any off ingredients, I bet they do not.
I don’t drink often, but when I do ….I drink Heinekin. Peggy, it’s one that’s one Food Babe’s list of “clean bears” –containing only : Water, Barley malt, Hops, and Yeast.
https://foodbabe.com/cleanbeer
After spending time in Germany for the Oktoberfest in the 1970s I found it hard to ever drink American beer again. I’ll admit, I have consumed Bud, Bush,Michelob, Miller, Coors, etc on occasion…but never again. As for Dos Equis (A Mexican beer created by a German) I have enjoyed it but quite honestly I can’t vouch for what’s in it anymore. I also use to enjoy Coors (in the 70’s) and Corona, but seems once a brewery is bought out by the Anheuser Busch or Miller/Coors giants….they seem to go down hill in terms of taste and quality. “Strohs” was another pretty decent beer, popular the northern midwest, but once A/B bought it out it lost its unique appeal and taste and became the same a Busch.
Thank you! I love beer and have long wondered what exactly is in it. I try to only drink locally brewed beers, but that isn’t always the case. Corn, rice, or additives do not belong in our beer!
It is sad that we have to buy foreign to get a safe product. Great job Vani! Keep up the good work.
Time to boycott the big brands until they label up!
I agree Pete! We have to be hit them in the pocket book.
I would say it’s time to just stop buying the big brands altogether—forever. They’ve proven they can’t be trusted, don’t think they should have to let the public know what they put in their brews, and continue…even after publicly claiming they will comply with listing the ingredients……to obfuscate. Why should anyone ever trust them at this point. They deserve all that they believe they have won!
Allow companies that are honest and that have integrity to earn a fair living; those earning a huge profit by lying, scamming, and generally being disrespectful to the public need to be left to the dustbins of history.
FYI: Germany has the so-called “German Purity Beer Law” which dates back to the 15th century and only allows water, barley and hops in the production of beer – nothing else. In 1988 The EU tried to bring this law down to pave the way for inferior beers from member countries. The effect was that Germany had to allow the sale of foreign beers within its borders. However, German brewers still had to follow the traditional brewing law.
1993 saw a slightly expanded version of the Reinheitsgebot, allowing, besides water, malted barley and hops, for yeast to be used for bottom-fermented beer, and for different kinds of malt, and sugar to be used for top-fermented beer. All ingredients and the process itself are subject to additional regulations.
And that’s why they have a high interest in having all ingredients of foreign beers listed to show that they are not as “clean”.
What about Two Brothers beers (Chicago)? They own restaurants as well and claim to use non-gmo ingredients.
Love your work Vani!
Big ups, Vani! It’s so exciting to see progress like this. Keep up the great work 🙂
Outstanding work. I have moved from beer to wine–it’s a gluten issue and feel much better.
I’m more informed than I’ve ever been. For instance, my coke drink of choice is that made in Mexico. Go Figure.
Thanks for keeping it real Vani……
what about Point beer out of Stevens Point, WI
When you’re out of Point, you’re out of town. 🙂
Happy to hear they still make it~
When you’re out of Point, you’re out of town. 🙂
I’d luv to know too. I’d guess it’s still pretty pure. <3 the Point~
Thanks again for all you do Vani, we do deserve to know the truth. Just wanted to say that Gandhi quote is so very true! Keep on rocking Foodbabe!
We live in Fort Collins, Colorado, which has dozens of local breweries as well as a large Budweiser Plant. My husband makes his own beer from barley, water, yeast, and hops. Different yeasts, different hops, and different roast on the barley berries make a wide range of good beers.
Vani – check out Anheuser-Busch’s response to the tweet you asked us to share last week….
Reply to @AnheuserBusch @MillerCoors @thefoodbabe
Anheuser-Busch @AnheuserBusch Jun 13
@clintjgrey glad to talk ingredients. Because we’re socially responsible, please reply with your date of birth.
@AnheuserBusch LMAO….does it look like I’m younger than 21? You want my social security # too all can see….SMH
Thank you for all you do Vani!
So a kid doing a GMO report can’t gather info for his dad? Kid wouldn’t be actually buying beer!
You go Babe
Vani, I’m happy to see the progress that has come from your work to protect our children. Keep marching until we have transparency at all levels. Love the Corona bottle picture with ingredients in German and Polish!
I really enjoy following these updates. Inspired, I emailed Shock Top. I was also so disappointed with Blue Moon based on your report. This was the reply I got and it appears to match the research you’ve done: “Shock Top Belgian White is brewed with two-row barley and wheat malts and the choicest imported Hallertau hops as well as domestic Cascade and Willamette hops. The beer is also brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander that gives it its complex aroma and refreshing taste.” I really appreciate your work. For years I wondered how beer lacked even basic nutritional information.
Keep kicking some butt!!!! 🙂 I’m behind you all the way!!!!
At a girl!!!! Keep ’em Dixon’s. You are really getting quite a following up North of the 49th in Canada. Chemo!!
Oh, no! I thought Stella was “good” 🙁
We need to franchise or clone you!
If one of you can do all of this, think about what 20 or 100 of you could do!! Great job.
Her clone would, by definition, be GMO, wouldn’t she?
Jim
You guys crack me up.
No Jim … Identical twins are not GMO. No gene gun used to insert a different species DNA into either child.
A clone is not a twin.
Jim
Aspertain”””???
What about Modelo, my husband drinks it all the time
I went to Aldi’s and found a German beer called Wernesgruener. It’s brewery was founded in 1436 and is very clean. It’s also delicious. http://www.wernesgruener.com
It comes in a 6 pack of dark brown bottles and the price is cheaper than most domestics. German Purity Law prevents breweries from adding all the bad stuff we have here in the states.
The lists are neither complete nor specific, but then neither is the Finnish label, which says “color(caramel)”. As a disclosure, are you accepting any money and/or other gratuity for your trip to St. Louis?
Jim
Not a dime!
So you’re flying out on your own dime; you’re paying for your hotel, meals, car, etc.?
I am paying for the whole trip myself.
I would also like to see a list of ingredients for Samuel Adams Boston lager. I can say however that Sammy Adams was the first American beer to be sold in Bavaria due to is passing the reinheitsgebot, spelling?, purity law in 1985.
WOW did not know americans know how to make beer ?????seems like mostly make horse piss and sell it off as beer……….. real beer comes from Germany or home brewed not the piss call bud wiser, coors, or any of the other GMO garbage.
PG was removed from almost all the cosmetics and things like deodorant in the health food store years ago. It’s time for the brewing industry to catch up.
Just wanted to point out that this is a POLISH label, not German (woooo, go Poland)
It says it’s imported from Germany though right? 🙂
I am quite certain that MANY other clean craft breweries are making beer free of any of this crap. Shouldn’t they be included? Or due diligence to include them? I personally know a several that are completely free of this stuff…
Food Babe, I love you.
Including corn in the brewing and fermenting process reduces the whole grain to a sugar. Just knowing this is enough to avoid it and not spike your circulating blood sugar.
I would like to know the ingredients in Guiness on draught. It, like all alcoholic beers are depressant and absolutely not health promoting.
Be a guest on my radio show when you come to Tampa! http://www.hawkradio.com Wednesdays Noon to 1pm.
Ryan, those “food experts” you refer to are medical doctors who receive no more than four hours nutrition training in medical school. Dieticians are taught and then go on to teach nothing but the FDA approved food pyramid. The FDA receives compensation from many organizations to approve whatever special interest food additive they are pushing. Quite frankly, I am more inclined to believe anything that comes from Food Babe vs. “The Experts”.
Corn in beer? There is no such thing in genuine beer, any beermaker will attest to it. It is definitely High Fructose Corn Syrup disguised as ‘Corn’. People don’t buy these beers any longer!! You want Caramel color and HFCS among other things that are not disclosed in your beer to save few bucks? These companies are liars and thieves by misinforming the public to sell their ‘potion’.. is lying the best they can do to push their potion and make a killer profit? Instead of brewing a quality beer that is not harmful to its clients? Think about it.. and vote with your wallet after that!
I was an employee of a manufacturer that supplied equipment to the brewing industry in the 1980s. I made a trip to Burnaby, BC, to assist Labatts, in pumping cane sugar syrup into it’s beer, Schooner, to make it smoother, just before bottling.
I don’t know if this is the same Schooner produced today, in eastern Canada..
Nevertheless, sugar was added to the beer.
Thank you Food Babe for your work! Since I’m not one to immediately trust larger companies, how can we verify the ingredient lists they provide?
Dear Vani, thank you for the hard work you are doing!
I also was wondering about some recently popular supplement products. I live in small town and it seems that on every corner they try to sell me Advocare products. I looked at some product ingredients and was shocked – they are not healthy or neutral, they are overdosed on caffeine, sweeteners and other GMOs, plainly harmful! I think it is a big scam!
What do you say?
Thank you, Iryna
What about Lost Coast beers? I like their Tangerine Ale.
Also, Redhook and Pyramid?
Thanks Vani for looking into this. Seems like corn syrup is making its way into everything these days…I really believe the food companies who use it are trying to create sugar addiction and lifetime buyers.
Hi Mary, if I may call you by your first name. I understand that allergens affect many people and we don’t want to unduly harm anyone. But to me, there is a difference between eating a food or drinking beer, wine, or other adult beverages. While some may be allergic to certain ingredients, wheat, corn, or nuts to name but a few, drinking adult beverages is not in any of the recommended food pyramids I have seen to date. In other words, beer is not one of the basic food groups. One drinks alcohol for one reason, to temper the stresses of life. That being said, it is not incumbent on you or any other person to make any alcoholic beverage a part of ones life, it is a decision consciously made to imbibe. Alcoholic beverage are by definition not healthy, just look at the carnage on the roads and the broken families, let alone those that may have a reaction to the ingredients. And I do want you to know I am not against the proclamation of ingredients of the various foods and beverages we consume, I just want to make the point that the Food Babes energies, and they are terrific, could go a long way to helping little people and their families survive the ravages of pediatric cancer. I am not trying to trivialize, but to put perspective on the subject. And by the way, I love beer!
I like a Czech Pilsner beer called Pilsner Urquell
Its brewed in Plzem Czech and imported by Trader Joes.
I just checked the website and it is now owned by MillerSAB.
I have inquired about the ingredients for the beer imported to the US.
I will let you know what they reply or please let us know if you hear from them.
Thanks for all your investigative work to keep us healthy!
I am traveling in Germany now… if I can do anything for you please let me know!
Food Babe: I think you should follow up with something positive about beer too, like for example the German Purity Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsgebot
German beers, although a bit more pricier in the US, are much better for your health than the chemical-filled-beer-tasting-water these mass brewers produce. Moreover, tell your husband, they don’t leave you feeling funky the next day.
I can drink 2 -3 German beers and feel absolutely normal the next day, but if I drink 2 – 3 mass produced beers I feel lethargic, irritable, and sometimes will get a headache that lasts all day. I tested this theory and it has convinced me that mass produced beer is not good for your health, especially the next day.
Belgium beers too, although most are a little too strong for my liking.
I just looked up online Bitburger beer. The website claims to follow the 1516 law from Germany, however I was not able to find ingredients at this time.