How often do we really scrutinise a label on a bottle of beer or the artwork on pumpclip before we part with our hard earned cash at the till? Speaking personally, a cursory glance the name of the beer, brewery and style usually does the trick for me and possibly, for most others. What other reason do people have to check a label on a bottle or pumpclip before buying? Well, given a bit of thought, there are actually quite a few. Dietary lifestyle choices such as being vegan (or vegetarian) renders any beer fined (making the beer clear, rather than cloudy) using isinglass undrinkable. Then we come to a whole raft of food sensitivities, intolerances and allergies, with the latter potentially having serious consequences. This is before we even consider thing such as alcohol units and the discrepancies across Europe; where the UK standard for alcohol is 8g compared to over double that in Hungary (17g). Thankfully most confusion surrounding this is mitigated by the percentage by volume of alcohol, which usually adorns a label, but there is the potential for confusion with some stock in the UK imported and not labelled correctly for the units. There is a huge range of gluten-free beers now available to coeliacs and those of a sensitive disposition to the protein present in many, many grains, which are often used for malt in brewing. With time, the labelling on this aspect plus the overt marketing for a gluten-free beer means those who would normally have to suffer the rather awful symptoms can now enjoy a beer without fearing for stomach problems following a drink or two. Sadly, there are still glaring issues that may not be initially apparent when it comes to a tipple and those of us who have dietary complications. With beers being brewed with ever more adventurous adjuncts and ingredients, there is a risk to labelling and ingredient consideration being an afterthought in an industry which can possibly admit to the biggest faux-pas in recognition of ingredients in its history; the German Reinheitsgebot (a purity law which initially stated that only barley/hops and water were allowed – neglecting the little powerhouse of fermentation, yeasts). It is not entirely uncommon for people to be allergic or have an intolerance to peanuts and chilli, both of which have made it into a number of beers recently. Beers which spring to mind such as Charlie Brown from Thornbridge, Yankee Sandwich from Wild Beer Co., Rogue Ales’ Sriracha Stout and Chilli Chocolate Stout from Bristol Beer Factory contain these ingredients and by virtue of the name (and labelling) it is clear that they will contain ingredients that are potentially of issue for some. However, some of the labelling in beers is less fastidious and none moreso than at Beer Festivals and indeed in pubs, where the name really doesn’t spell out what’s in a beer and the pumpclips are often only brief in the description (at best) and at worst are handwritten at festivals; with the name and alcoholic strength of a beer only. Recently, a personal acquaintance had a run in with beers containing peanuts, once in a pub serving Yankee Sandwich on keg (pump clip present but no mention of peanuts), ordering said beer before I intervened saving a rather uncomfortable situation later, thankfully his allergy is much less severe than many others’. Another case of labelling confusion involves Mad Hatter’s Smoky Bacon Banana, which oddly enough contains no bacon or banana (the smoked malt and use of a specific yeast strain provides notes of these), but you’d have to read the back of the bottle to ensure you knew it was vegetarian friendly as the flavour imparted really does translate both the monikered elements. Another beer of note in the confusion is Buxton’s Yellowbelly, (a formidable and delicious peanut butter biscuit stout) has a remarkable flavour set including that, as would be expected, of peanuts. I felt the need to check on this, as the labelling did state that it did not contain any peanuts or derivative thereof. Upon contacting Buxton Brewery, I was informed that it definitely did not use peanuts or derivatives of peanuts in making the beer; however upon being served this at a beer festival, the ABV and name of the beer were the only things present on the pumpclip (this was before my query to Buxton). It took an enquiry with the server about the Yellowbelly to find out that the beer did not contain any nuts, although they were not 100% sure themselves. From Buxton; “Yellow Belly doesn’t have any peanut or peanut derived ingredients in it at all - We are in fact required to be a peanut-free production site, as we supply M&S, among others, who stipulate it.” Whilst there is a serious argument for people being sensible about what they are drinking and reading labels carefully, there are also cases where subtleties slip through the gaps where people are drinking – as all bottles of wine usually state when sulphites are present, beers really should take the same care, whether this be at point of sale or at the brewery, to state when there are ingredients in the brew which some drinkers may potentially be sensitive to. One gripe in particular for me at the moment comes from the habit of some breweries (especially some not based in the UK) who have a penchant for labelling bottles with some aesthetically brilliant stuff, but not stating any information about the beer within. Whilst this is sometimes enigmatic and a talking point to go with their product, it is also really annoying – no mention of style, ingredients beyond the grain, yeast, water and hops (i.e. adjuncts or sugars etc) and sometimes there isn’t even a name for the beer on the bottle. I am surely not the only one who wants to know what they’re buying and drinking? There are a number of other allergen-components in our beer which can trigger an allergic reaction from those susceptible. A variety of cogeners, histamines, preservative agents, pesticides and other animal products in beers in non-vegetarian friendly beers can all trigger a reaction ranging from anaphylaxis to a mild headache or stomach ache. In addition to isinglass, egg albumin and casein can be used to fine a beer, these can also trigger reactions in certain individuals, not to mention he presence of lactose in certain milk stouts – any unfermented lactose could trigger some unpleasant symptoms for those with an intolerance. With the advent of such a prolific age of brewing, ideas are being thrown around like confetti with ever increasing beer flavourings. Since the use of adjuncts in beer has been around for a long time, with Belgian lambic ales incorporating fruit into the brews, there are a large number of UK brewings who have been using other fruits, herbs and vegetables to increase the flavour set and depth of their beers. Whilst the idea is nothing new in principle (herbs used in gruit were in British beers before hops reached the shores for flavouring) to use something other than malt and hops to bring out the best in a beer, the methods and disclosure are often a little hazy or in some cases, downright guarded. Essences, nuts, beans, fruit flesh, flowers and foliage all often used and only occasionally declared for a lot of beers. It makes things a little difficult for those who need to monitor their intake with extreme focus, but should brewers, pubs and outlets take some responsibility for making things transparent for these people? Should more of an effort be made, albeit with limited space on pumpclips and on bottle labels?
As of December 2014 there were a new set of laws that Publicans had to abide by with regard the point of sale for alcoholic drinks. Beer and wine are also governed by these new EU rules, which many places are probably still unaware of. Although it seems time consuming (indeed, a UKIP politician has commented on the unnecessary nature of labelling in a flurry of electioneering later on in 2014), there is also a positive side to ensuing people know what makes up their beer such as the avoidance of illness. More info: [http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Legal/Legislation/Publicans-reminded-they-will-need-to-give-allergens-advice-for-drinks] [http://www.beerlabelling.com] And also for information here are the allergen/food labelling laws change 13th December 2014: [https://www.food.gov.uk/science/allergy-intolerance/label] [http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/food-allergen-labelling-technical-guidance.pdf] So where do you stand with the labelling of beers, be they served in a bar, pub, festival or from bottle shop or off license? Should a full disclosure be given as to what constitutes our beer? Pedro. ------- N.B. Article amended to reflect ingredients used in the Mad Hatter Brewery 'Drink Me Smoky Bacon Banana' - 22/09/2015
9 Comments
The problem with labelling is that the labels are small, and the amount of stuff that has to go on them is getting longer and longer, and it doesn't even make sense in places.
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Pedro
8/29/2015 08:36:49 pm
Hi Steve,
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9/1/2015 07:59:50 pm
There's no evidence that isinglass use in beer has ever provoked allergic reactions. That's how come brewers are exempted from labelling it. Apart from that, all the 14 allergen groups are required to be labelled on beer - including SO2 (above a certain level).
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Pedro
9/2/2015 01:50:38 am
Hi Jon,
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Paul
9/3/2015 12:29:25 am
At the Swindon CAMRA beer festival this October we are taking the allergens very seriously and all volunteers are to be made aware of where the information is being kept. Whether this will work in practise I'll report on after the event!
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Pedro
9/4/2015 10:48:28 am
Good stuff Paul, would actually be interested to see if there's anything mentioned up front, as most beer festivals only ever show the beer/brewer/ABV - the rest of the information only divulged on request (unless there are a few tasting notes/style notes in a programme).
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Damon
9/4/2015 04:12:15 am
Enlightening stuff!
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Bill Westerson
9/10/2015 01:42:58 am
Nice stuff... though as pointed out, there isn't a lot of room on the labels on bottles and there is probably even less scope for putting stuff on pump clips maybe?
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