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Why doesn't NA beer have nutrition fact labels in the USA? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 6 months ago by BreakDecks@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

16 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I understand that alcoholic beverages are regulated by the ATF and not the FDA, which is why nutrition fact labels aren't legally required on alcoholic beverages, but why does this carry over to NA beer?

It's basically just beer-flavored soda. It has less than the required alcohol content (<0.5%) to be legally classified as an alcoholic beverage. Is it not regulated by the FDA?

The only clue I have is that Nutrition Fact labels appear on cans of NA beer made by companies that only produce NA beer (e.g. Athletic / Partake), but not NA beers produced by existing full-alcohol breweries (e.g. Heineken / Guinness). Is there some sort of "we also produce alcoholic beverages" loophole to avoid FDA regulation?

If so, would it be possible for Coca-Cola, who distributes alcoholic beverages (e.g. Topo Chico hard seltzer / Jack & Coke premixed cocktails), to get around the requirement for their regular sodas?

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[–] Sertou@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)

NA beer is not basically “beer flavored soda.” The only thing the two have in common is carbonation and even that is produced differently in each. Soda is flavored syrup mixed with water that has been carbonated by forcing CO2 through it. NA beer is brewed the same as regular beer, and carbonation occurs during this process. For some NA beers, fermentation is arrested before significant amounts of alcohol form, while others are subjected to a vacuum to lower the boiling point so that the alcohol can be boiled out with a minimum effect of the flavor.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 14 points 6 months ago

This is it. The law is likely written in a way that exempts all non-alcoholic beer and the brewing industry doesn't want to touch that law at all since it would likely lead to all alcoholic products being required to publish nutritional information rather than just non-alcoholic products.

[–] snooggums@midwest.social 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I think you are taking the beer flavored soda comment too literally.

Both are beverages people drink for fun and have calories, which is the comparison said in a lighthearted manner.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 6 points 6 months ago

Except it depends on how the law sees them. OP may view them as two similar products, but the law may not and the discussion is based on why the law treats two similar products differently.