Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Record is Archived

    This article is now archived and is closed to further replies.

    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Fight Brews Over Gluten-free Beer Standards

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 07/18/2013 - If you brew a bunch of beer using traditional wheat and barley, then add enzymes to break down gluten proteins so that the final product tests negative for gluten, is the beer actually gluten-free? Should it be labeled as gluten-free?

    Photo: CC--Andrew-HydeMany brewmasters, and some with celiac disease say 'yes.' Others, including government regulators say 'no.'

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    That's the root of the big fight brewing between Oregon brewmasters at Craft Brew Alliance and U.S. government regulators over what kinds of beer can and cannot be labeled gluten-free.

    On the one hand, numerous brewmasters are now brewing beer with traditional barley, and then using an enzymatic process to break down the gluten proteins so that the final product has no detectable levels of gluten.

    Some regulators, and some gluten-free beer drinkers accept this approach, some do not. The U.S. government does not, and federal alcohol regulators have barred Craft Brew from calling Omission "gluten-free" outside Oregon. Currently, Craft Brew Alliance can label their Omission beers as 'gluten-free' only in Oregon, Canada, and Denmark.

    However, the regulators have said that the company can label their product as 'gluten-removed,' rather than gluten-free.'

    U.S. regulators argue that labeling beers made with wheat and/or barley as 'gluten-free' is likely to mislead consumers. They also add concerns about the small fragments of gluten that do remain in the final product. There simply isn't enough evidence to show that these beers are safe for people with celiac disease in the same way that beers made from gluten-free ingredients are safe.

    Recent tests by Canada's public health agency did show gluten fragments in beers from Spain and Belgium that use a gluten-removal process similar to the one used by Craft Brew for Omission beers. It's unclear whether the fragments are a health concern, Health Canada spokeswoman Blossom Leung said via email.

    In fact, some gluten-free individuals have had reactions that they attribute to such beers, though others have not. Could this be a sensitivity to the broken-down fragments of gluten protein? That important question remains unanswered.

    In the U.S., all sides are currently awaiting new rules by the FDA, which should provide labeling guidance for such cases.

    Since 2007, the FDA has considered allowing foods with less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be labeled "gluten-free." But its final proposal, now under review by the OMB, would prohibit such labeling on foods where no valid test exists to determine safety.

    Under such a rule, beers like Omission could not be labeled as 'gluten-free,' but could be labels as 'gluten-removed.' Craft Beers calls that part of the prospective rule "unnecessarily rigid."

    What do you think? Have you tried these kinds of beers? Do you support labeling them gluten-free, or should they be labeled 'gluten-removed?' Do we need to know more about possible adverse effects from these kinds of beers before we can say for sure?



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Guest Denise

    Posted

    Great article!!! I believe that if it contains or MADE with any form of gluten, that product should "never" be permitted the label usage of gluten-free. I like the idea of gluten removed, that tells exactly what it is. Using the words gluten-free should mean that - it is a sign that people with celiac disease (and others on gluten-free diet) can keep their disease or symptoms in remission. This beer company seems to be fighting for "sales" not for quality of life for those with celiac. Bottom line is - it will never be gluten free in my eyes if it begins with gluten in the first place, we are only asking for trouble if that passes. It's hard enough to read labels - we don't need to worry about that!!!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest sc'Que?

    Posted

    It really just makes no sense to me why Omission would want to fight this one. Gluten-removed could just as easily have a recognized status in the craft beer (and food) world. But you'll never get there by deceiving (or even sweet-talking) your customers. As J.L. said above, each consumer should be given the tools to make this decision on their own!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Bev Anderson

    Posted

    I agree with J. L. that the beer should not be labeled gluten-free but I question if 'gluten removed' is the way to go, since breaking down protein isn't the same to me as taking the gluten proteins out. Too many unanswered questions. We who have celiac disease are dealing with an allergy to gluten. The FDA took a giant step forward when labeling allergens became law. I believe minute amounts of gluten can cause a reaction, so I do everything to avoid it. Let's not make it harder for people to identify products which may cause them harm.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest maris

    Posted

    Why would Craft Beers call the part of the prospective rule that would require them to label their beer as gluten-removed "unnecessarily rigid"? It sounds to me like they are more worried about marketing their beer than about safely communicating to folks who are truly gluten intolerant or gluten allergic. If they really care about people, I can't imagine why they would have any problem at all with distinguishing between gluten-removed and gluten-free.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest DMV

    I have been occasionally enjoying Daura, a beer imported from Spain. Recently the large gluten-free specialty store that I go to locally informed me it is a gluten removed beer. The store had testing done and they assured me it was gluten-free. I hope it is, I hate the sorghum alternatives. I do get quite a buzz with one bottle, possibly there is a diffuse effect for me, but no GI, headache, or joint pain.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Helen

    Posted

    I have had Omission beer - both varieties - multiple times. I enjoy the taste as superior to most gluten-free beers, especially the big manufacturer beers. I am diagnosed celiac, but have been gluten-free since 2001. I would suggest that sensitivity is an individual matter. I like having the choice and would hope that this choice that works for me will always be available.

    Keep in mind that even naturally gluten-free products may be gluten contaminated if not processed in a gluten-free environment. Every time you add a new product to your diet you have to be careful that it is the only new item. Then you can be sure what it is what you are reacting to - or hopefully not reacting to.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Laura

    Posted

    I am a diagnosed celiac and I have never had a problem with Omission. I always check the batch number in the grocery store before I purchase and I have never gotten a PPM number greater than 11. However, I understand that we all have different thresholds for a reaction and I don't think the product should be marked "Gluten Free" if people are having reactions to it.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Jared M.

    Posted

    Well, clearly some of you still have a little to learn about being a celiac. If you didn't take the time to look into the company and how it brews the beer, then shame on you. It was very widely reported that this beer is brewed from barley just like Estrella Damm Daura.

     

    When I first heard of Omission, I did my homework. I went to their website and read about the process. I knew full well what I was getting into when I tried the beer. Luckily for me, I'm one of the celiacs that doesn't have a reaction to the beer. So I will continue to drink it no matter how it is labeled.

     

    I also found on their website that they do not market it as gluten-free in the U.S. So I'm perplexed as to why someone would call them a corporate liar. And one other very important thing I want to point out from my investigation of Omission: The brewmaster's wife is a celiac!!! Why would he be using "tactics" to deceive people with the same illness as his wife?

     

    I'm going to guess here that you found the beer on a gluten-free shelf at a store. Well, that grocer is who lied to you, not Craft Brew Alliance. You should direct your anger at that wonderfully responsible corporation, Whole Foods Market - a company with a very long laundry list of deceitful tactics.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Brian

    Posted

    My wife tried the Prairie Path beer from Two Brothers in Illinois. It's a very good beer and is labeled as "Crafted to Remove Gluten." They have a big article on their website that talks about the testing that was done to certify the low levels of gluten even though it is made with barley. Unfortunately, the beer did not make her feel well. The first time she had it a headache developed, but it was unclear whether it was the beer or cross contamination at the restaurant. We bought the beer at home (since she liked it so much), and the headache occurred a second time along with nausea, her surefire gluten symptoms.

     

    And so we are definitely in favor of the government preventing these breweries from labeling their product as "gluten-free". Though the currently available tests may not show the gluten, it apparently can still cause issues for celiacs.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Uncle Bruce

    Posted

    Parts per Million. So one Omission gives you, say, 10ppm. What does three beers then give you? 30 parts, diluted in three volumes of beer. Parts is parts. Enough parts, and we have celiac distress.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest joan

    I love Omission's pale ale and drink it often. My gluten intolerant friend has a reaction to it, so he sticks to rum and others if he's looking to drink alcohol. Neither of us are diagnosed celiac. However, I do think there are a lot of people who think they have gluten sensitivity or intolerance when really their main sensitivity might be something like yeast.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Cindy

    Posted

    I drank Omission beer all weekend without any reaction whatsoever. I do not understand the difference in labeling when as mentioned in your article the government and most of Europe labels gluten-free when it has less than 20pp million and this is accepted everywhere in Europe which has a much higher population than the US. Also, we now know that the distilling process removes gluten from whiskey etc. which makes it acceptable for celiacs. No it is not labeled gluten-free, however, I do not believe that Craft Beers is trying to pull a "fast one" as one of the previous writers suggested. The CEO of the company is celiac, so you don't think he has a concern? I personally am excited to have new choices and if it meets the standards, label it as such. The company is open to feedback and questions at glutenfreeterry@omissionbeer.com.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Guest
    This is now closed for further comments

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Scott Adams
    The Sprue-Nik Press, published by the Tri-County Celiac Sprue Support Group, a chapter of CSA/USA, Inc. serving southeastern Michigan, Volume 7, Number 5, July/August 1998. Dr. Peter Ernst is Senior Scientist at the Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch. He is the son of Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) co-founder Kay Ernst, and is a celiac himself.
    During Dr. Ernst’s talk, he indicated his philosophy toward celiac disease which is, "Don’t exclude anything if it is unnecessary." As a result he made three assertions which may provoke no major objection from Canadian celiacs but are controversial among US celiacs. Dr. Ernst’s first assertion is that it is almost impossible for gliadins to be in distilled products. For instance, many people avoid distilled v...


    Scott Adams
    On June 2, 2002, hundreds of researchers traveled from all over the world to Paris, France, in order to hear the latest scientific reports on celiac disease research and to present results from their own investigations. Over the course of three days, scientists presented dozens of reports, and displayed over a hundred posters covering all aspects of celiac disease, from laboratory research on the microbiologic aspects of the disease, to quality of life issues in patients who are on the gluten-free diet.
    There were so many exciting reports presented at the conference, and the following describes the research findings from these new reports concerning the screening and clinical presentation of celiac disease, osteoporosis and osteopathy and neurological conditions.
    SCREENING...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 09/11/2009 - When is a beer not a beer? When it's gluten-free. Until now.
    Beer perpetually hovers near the top of most celiac lists of things they'd love to have if they could. Until recently, the regulation of labels for beer, wine and spirits fell to a little known government agency called the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
    Because their regulations relied on the Federal Alcohol Administration Act of 1935, which defined beer as a beverage brewed from malted barley and other grains, gluten-free beers did not meet the strict definition, and could not therefore be labeled as 'gluten-free beer,' as no such standard existed.
    That situation has changed, and the Food and Drug Administration is now charged with the regulation of beer labels. Because of this, gluten...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - StaciField replied to StaciField's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      10

      My bone structure is disintegrating and I’m having to have my teeth removed

    2. - Nicole boling replied to Nicole boling's topic in Food Intolerance & Leaky Gut
      2

      Truly seltzers

    3. - trents replied to CeliacChica's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      42

      Muscle Twitching

    4. - knitty kitty replied to CeliacChica's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      42

      Muscle Twitching


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,161
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Debbie MacEwen
    Newest Member
    Debbie MacEwen
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.2k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • MHavoc
    • Vozzyv
      5
    • Kathleen JJ
    • CeliacChica
      42
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...