The safety of non-alcoholic beers often comes into question when considering that alcohol itself acts as a preservative. The absence or minimal presence of alcohol in non-alcoholic (NA) beer can lead to several potential issues, including spoilage, the growth of pathogens, and beers rising above the NA threshold of .5% ABV, making them alcoholic.
A notable study by The Journal of Food Protection discovered that E. coli and Salmonella could grow and survive in low and non-alcoholic beers when stored at room temperature.
So, how can the risks of NA beer be mitigated?
The answer lies in pasteurization.
Various pasteurization methods exist, but tunnel pasteurization is arguably the safest and most effective. During this process, filled beer cans are moved through an enclosed conveyor. Inside the conveyor, they are either sprayed with or immersed in hot water or steam, heated to ~150+ degrees Fahrenheit.
At Go Brewing, we use a tunnel pasteurizer, where our beer undergoes pasteurization for approximately 35 minutes per can.
We strongly recommend that every NA beer in the industry undergo pasteurization to ensure consumer safety. This is particularly crucial when the beer is transported over distances, sitting on store shelves, and is beyond the manufacturer's control.
In addition to pasteurization, conducting laboratory tests before releasing any beer for sale is essential. At Go Brewing, we have an advanced quality program where we test no fewer than eight samples per batch for microbial presence and maintain a quality hold post-production to ensure all our products meet the highest standards.
While these procedures might slow down our production process and our beer's availability, compromising on safety and quality is not an option.
For more insights on this topic, here are a couple of articles:
New York Post: Non-Alcoholic Beer May Bring Higher Risk for E. coli, Salmonella
Non-alcoholic beers may be a happy hour for bacteria, study warns
Are NA Beers Safe for you? (Video Explanation)
