Does the Beer You Drink Contain GMOs, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and all other Weaponized Ingredients?

[Playdo of Ataraxas]

I came across an article today that made me think twice about the consumption of cheap beer. I am not by any means what one would term "rich". Much the opposite. I've been drinking Pabst, my favorite cheap beer. Turns out, there's GMO corn and GMO corn syrup in my beer. WTF? Like birth control, as they fallaciously say, abstinence is best, but I ain't an abstinence kind of guy. I like my beer, and now I have to change my habits after reading this. Looks like its time to stick to the Reinheitsgebot. God bless the Germans for demanding that beer has been made pure for over 500 years. I'm going to begin investigating American breweries to see what their beers contain, and I'll update as I make progress. Any assistance with this endeavor is most appreciated.

Here's the article I read: http://foodbabe.com/2013/07/17/the-shocking-ingredients-in-beer/

[MorningSong]

Wow! OK. I can help....

The GMO Compass is supported by the EU RE: Beer; it talks mostly about German Beer (2006):


Description of product

Beer that is brewed in Germany is subject to the "Biersteuergesetz", i.e., the "beer tax law". This modern version of the traditional "purity law" of 1516 limits the allowed ingredients of beer to water, yeast, hops and barley malt.

Beer that is brewed outside of Germany is not subject to this regulation and also may be sold in Germany without restriction. However, ingredients which are restricted in Germany, such as barley malt substitutes and chemical additives, must be indicated on the label. To date, enzymes used in the production process are not required to be declared.
In the case of beers using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known as "brewers’ yeast", other malts (e.g. from rye or wheat), sugar and colouring derived from sugar may be used.
See also: spirits, wine

Possible application of gene technology

In the case of beers that are brewed according to the German purity laws, the direct use of gene technology currently is excluded. In the case of foreign beers, a variety of applications of gene technology is possible.

For example, the application of isolated enzymes is allowed in imported beer. The production of imported beer often is conducted with the aid of genetically modified organisms. In Germany, this is incompatible with the purity law and therefore is not allowed in the production of beer.

The enzymes are used to improve the disintegration of starches and other plant-based starch compound, as well as to accelerate the malting process and ripening, to suppress undesired scents and to optimise the production process. Applied enzymes include amylases, proteases, pullulanase, glucanase, acetolactate-decarboxylase, and laccase.

Outside of Germany, raw materials include not only barley and wheat but also maize, rice, glucose syrup and other starch products.

Imported beers from Central and South America often are brewed from maize. Genetically modified maize is grown on a large scale in many countries.

Modifications of yeast conversely are compatible with the purity law – irrespective of their being achieved through "classical" breeding or through the transfer of genes. The breeding of beer yeast has a very long tradition. One procedure used thereby is the provocation of mutations. Thereby, the enzymatic performance of the yeast is optimised.

A variety of genetically modified yeasts have been developed to the point of industrial readiness, particularly in the case of beers which have reduced alcohol or calories. To date, with the exception of smaller experimental breweries in the UK, such yeasts have not been put to use. German breweries have assured that they will not use such yeasts.
As a rule, beer no longer contains yeast: it is filtered out and the beer is then pasteurised. However, in the case of specific types of "cloudy" beer, such as Weizenbier ("wheat beer") or Malzbier ("malt beer"), yeast remains present in the final product.
As a nutrient in the cultivation of yeasts, glucose syrup or other yeast products often are used.

The additive citric acid also may be applied in order to prevent the excessive loss of sugar from sprouted barley.

With Malzbier:

colouring agent sugar colouring


http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/food/214.beer.html

More info here:

http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/processed_foods/30.beverages_genetic_engineering.html

Here you will find a list of "organic" beer:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/choosing-an-organic-beer.html

And here's a forum discussing this:

http://discussions.probrewer.com/showthread.php?23016-Gmo-Beer

[northstar]

I'm not a beer drinker but the last few months I have been cutting GMOs out of my diet. This is a huge task mostly due to corn. Corn is present in some form in most processed foods and since GMO corn makes up 90% of the corn consumed in North America you simply have to assume most processed food sold in supermarkets (in addition to beer) includes GMOs.

Its a huge task and it involves radically changing my eating and cooking patterns (non GMO foods purchased and then cooked from scratch at home) but I'm doing it because I refuse to allow any more of the carcinogenic GMO poison into my body.

[william r sanford72]

thers a lotta small local brewers in iowa.even one in albia..a town of around 5000.i know the owner and family and watch and taste now and again.also use to dabble with making mead.i dont think i bought a domestic made 6 pack in 13 years...unless it is some local brewer.but its not cheap.nice informative.. BURP!!..thread.

[BrianEn]

My guess is that if you drink enough beer you won't care what's in it.

[WhiteFeather]

I don't always drink beer, but when i do, i prefer Guinness Extra Stout. The Irish make one heck of a beer, and since 1759. I Don't think Monsatan has their claws in this company.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_e-Hg_wXYjVA/SzV0SlXeesI/AAAAAAAACpY/h0Of195x9lY/s400/Guinness+Extra+Stout.jpg

[PurpleLama]

Read the article in the op, Vince, not even the almighty stout is immune....

¤=[Post Update]=¤

I would guess that this issue extends to all forms of alcohol. I have noticed organic labeled wines popping up, which says something about those unlabeled as such, I'd imagine....

¤=[Post Update]=¤

I am debating whether or not to finish off the PBR I have stashed in the fridge, or to dump it and begin the search for a good german replacement. I can take a malty beer, but the hoppy stuff makes me twitch.

[william r sanford72]

looks tasty whitefeather..but stout is almost a heavy meal for my 100 pound butt. sleepy time.with o little irish shine in me eyes.

[Calz]

When you start getting serious cross pollination (and we have) then the lines get a little blurry.

When we need to rely on labels and the "authorities" to tell us the ingredients ... more blurry.

When corporations rule the world ... keep that *always* at the back of your mind then things become a little clearer.

... at least for now.


Questions?


https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3980146688/h1A101743/


(clue - it's the system that must go ... or else we have no one to blame but ourselves ...)

Cheers http://www.pic4ever.com/images/2.gif



*** adding to incorporate a broader view ***


Defense is a losing game. These people have control of nearly everything due to the plague called money.

Time and time again people will organize to "fight the good fight" and once in awhile actually "win" only to see the sleepless, and exhaustless determination of the darker forces reorganize, fight and "win".

Really simple message here folks (hey I am a simple guy) ... don't waste all of our energy on fighting the battles ... fight on winning the war.

System must go for us to have any hope.


(humble beer drinker's opinion ya know)

[northstar]

Defense is a losing game. These people have control of nearly everything due to the plague called money.

Time and time again people will organize to "fight the good fight" and once in awhile actually "win" only to see the sleepless, and exhaustless determination of the darker forces reorganize, fight and "win".


I agree that the fight is fierce and exhausting for the little guys (us!) BUT there are a LOT MORE OF US THAN THEM, my friend. We outnumber them. Yes, it is true that they use mind control techniques, propaganda delivered though all major media, and even nastier methods including poisoning of air, water and food to keep us dumbed down and docile. But I know with ever fiber of my being that we, the little guys, the 99% are beginning to awaken to the horrific crap hole the controllers have created for us.

And when the awakened little guys begin to stand up together and ROAR (protest, complain, stop consuming manufactured poisonous GMOs) the controllers MUST listen and respond. They control us because we have allowed it! When we stop allowing it, the evil controllers must stop because they are vastly outnumbered.

Respectfully,

a proud, unapologetic spiritual warrior.

[Earth Angel]

actually Guinness has less calories than many lighter looking beers.....its a myth that its a 'heavy beer loaded with calories'
for example
Coors 149 calories
Budweiser 145
Guinness draught 126



looks tasty whitefeather..but stout is almost a heavy meal for my 100 pound butt. sleepy time.with o little irish shine in me eyes.

[william r sanford72]

this is why i love avalon.Beer..to GMOs.. leading into disscussions that matter..stout still leaves me feeling full Earth Angel.North Star..keep kickn spiritual but!!.and everyone should try to buy local not factory processed..taste better anyways and cheap beer sucks.and doesnt this go back to our right to know what is exactly in the products they make for consumption.seems cut and dry yet we are still fighting such base logic.right is right.with no GRAY spaces in between.

[Calz]

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/33366043.jpg


... sorry ... no doubt Playdo will come back to whack us into topic here ...


:focus:


... hey ... I am genetically modified ... I have a great excuse right???

[Octavusprime]

It's simple. Stop drinking crappy yellow mass produced beer! Support your local breweries who stick with the 4 original ingredients. Water, Yeast, Barley and Hops. Take corn out of the equation. Your taste buds will thank you for it.

I enjoy all beers including pilsner so I'm not knocking the style but there are much tastier choices out there than Coors, Bud and Miller. My favorite is Trumer Pils out of Berkely California. Most amazing tasting light beer I've ever had (I've had alot). http://www.trumer-international.com/

Cheers!

[Fred Steeves]

Below is a link to a site where the guy apparently tests beer for fluoride content. My Bud tests .4 ppm, but it's better than Bud Light at .6 ppm.
http://ffbeers.com/

The EPA standard (whatever...) for Flouride "safety" in drinking water is 4.0 ppm.

BTW Reilly, don't waste that PBR brother. Alcohol abuse is a terrible thing. :p

[PurpleLama]

Never fear, Fred, I was being poetic. With all the PBR I have consumed over the last few years, since switching from the Champagne of Beers, I don't think a few more will hurt.

[WhiteFeather]

My choice was Grolsch just minutes ago. It now comes in a six pack form. No fancy ceramic cap on the bottle like before. But the beer is still the same. I Just opened my first cold one. Its Making me forget about the 100 degree day we had today in NYC. Stay thirsty my friends.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U18VkI0uDxE

[DeDukshyn]

Small local breweries are best. I try to choose most of my beers from these, thankfully I really enjoy a wide variety of beer.

Anything from any of the top 10 breweries in a continent are likely the worst offenders for crap, because they already have their customer base established and profits are king at almost any cost, so cheaper ingredients will get used. Small breweries are looking to grow and provide an alternative to the big breweries, so they tend to at least try to keep their quality high as they can.

I think I will learn myself the art of beer and wine making though, so I can have better control over what goes into my beer. I have a cousin who is growing his own hops even for his home brew.

That said, I just cracked an Innis and Gunn -- very tasty, but likely made with traditional crap ingredients ... The Scots sure can make a good ale ... :)

[Warlock]

God, I sure hope so.

Warlock :wizard: