Did you think you could avoid problems by sipping non-alcoholic beers? While this habit protects you from hangovers, it does expose you to a greater risk of contamination by food pathogens.
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At first glance, non-alcoholic beer seems rather innocent: it tastes like the drink and promises a hangover-free aftermath. Yes, but here it is: according to a study published this month in the Journal of Food Protection, its manufacture, storage and pouring can create conditions conducive to the proliferation of foodborne pathogens! In other words, “we must now consider beer without alcoholalcohol as a food and ensure that all parameters are respected to guarantee the safety of the product”confides Randy Worobo, professor of food sciences at College of AgricultureAgriculture and Life Sciences and lead author of the study in a press release. However, today, some manufacturers of non-alcoholic beers use the same traditional manufacturing methods as for classic beers, for example by adding hops, which can lead to contamination.
The production conditions of non-alcoholic beer must evolve
To achieve such results, the researchers inoculated samples of alcohol-free and low-alcohol beer with the bacteria. E.coliE.coli, SalmonellaSalmonella enterica And Listeria monocytogenesListeria monocytogenes. They then stored the drinks at two different temperatures (39 and 57 degrees) for two months. Results: In non-alcoholic beer, all pathogens grew and survived, in both cases. In low alcohol beer, the amount of‘E. coli and of S. Enterica doubled in the sample stored at 57 degrees F (13.89 °C), but the Listeria remained undetectable under all conditions. “Without the protection offered by alcohol, manufacturers must consider how pathogens can grow from raw products during processing”, says Randy Worobo. And this will notably have to involve the treatment of products by pasteurization.
