The Shocking Ingredients In Beer—conventional, mainstream Beer.

So Drink Local. Drink Small. Drink Microbrew. Drink Independent.

Stay thirsty (for local and organic) my friends!

Is your favorite mainstream beer on this list?

With thanks for the tip to Food Babe and our longtime elephriend Jeremy Black of Sambazon:

“Well this sucks…but it makes sense…of course the giant beer companies are putting gmos and artificial crap in their beers…at least knowing this will make it easier to drink less crappy beer. Go for the legit stuff like Stone, New Belgium, Peak and other Organic brands.”

 

We’re not shocked: we’ve reported bad beers for years, and talked up and drank down good beers, like New Belgium, who helped keep this here elephant alive in our transition from print to web. But we are sad: even if you and I and our friends know to drink the good stuff, the bad stuff is helping Monsanto (who we “love”) to take over our world, and farmers.

~

Via Food Babe:

“Why are the ingredients not listed on the label? Which brands can we trust?…

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.”

…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)…

  …read the rest at Food Babe. It’s worth it—the astounding, truly shocking facts are too many to list here, so support them with your reading.