https://www.xataka.com/magnet/mexico-tiene-claro-cervezas-alcohol-no-deberian-llamarse-cerveza

Mexico is one of the countries that produces the most beer. This is not a guess, but a fact: in beer consumption, they are in fourth place after China (a real giant in this sense), the USA and Brazil. Mexico accounts for 5.2% of the world’s beer consumption and, compared to other countries, Germany is in sixth place with 4.1% and Spain is in ninth place with 2.3%. It also has an important position in the market as a beer producer, exporter and importer.

In fact, according to data, Modelo Especial is the most consumed beer in the United States and belongs to a Mexican group. There are many types in the beer world, depending on different fermentation processes, maturation and raw materials, but to narrow it down, there are three types of beer: regular, non-alcoholic and 0.0.

And the latest report from Profeco (the Mexican government’s Federal Consumer Protection Agency) makes it clear that there are a number of beers that should not be classified as beer. They are not available directly.

Non-alcoholic beer is not available in Mexico

We will not go into the difference in taste or whether it is noticeable in this sense if a beer is non-alcoholic or… regular. What we will say is that it is an option when you want to enjoy this drink and its characteristics but do not want to consume alcohol. It may be by choice, for medical or health reasons or because we will get in the car later, but in these cases, non-alcoholic beer is a solution.

Europe, for example, has also traditionally been a country of beer producers, and in recent years the production of non-alcoholic beer has been encouraged. In fact, its production increased by 13% from 2022 to 2023. And there is a subtle but fundamental difference to understand these drinks:

• Non-alcoholic beer It is a product with an alcohol content of less than 1%. Therefore, there is a ridiculous amount of alcohol.
• Beer 0.0 It is one that has been processed so that its alcohol content does not exceed 0.04%. If so, it is considered non-alcoholic beer.

This is controlled during the production process by different methods. For example, during the preparation of the drink, the fermentation temperature is controlled so that the yeast develops more and feeds less on the sugar in the barley, thus producing less alcohol. Another way is to heat the drink by boiling it while it is already prepared, so that the alcohol evaporates and the water does not evaporate.

But for Mexico, the result of this process cannot be called ‘beer’. Profeco notes in the latest issue of Consumer Magazine:

“Beer’s alcohol content ranges from 2 percent to 20 percent, so products with less than 2 percent alcohol cannot use the name ‘beer’ because they are non-alcoholic beverages.”

They have been outspoken on the subject and as a result some brands will have to change their labels. For the beer analysis Profeco examined 19 products: 12 low-alcohol beers and 7 soft drinks (here they already leave out the nuance that these are ‘beers’ and not ‘beers’). They checked the alcohol content, energy content, volatile compounds and sodium. And here is what we see in the report Those who do not drink alcohol do not use the term “beer”but not “non-alcoholic beverage”, “non-alcoholic malt beverage” or “wheat, barley and hop flavoured beverage”.

All… except one: fried Mahou 0.0. The label says “non-alcoholic beer”, but the report itself states that the drink is not suitable due to insufficient information provided to the consumer, since it cannot use the word “beer” because it does not contain alcohol.

The war on sugar in beer

Besides this open war on non-alcoholic beer in Mexico, the report also includes an interesting analysis of sugar content. If you want to lose weight, you can also choose these drinks. to reduce alcohol consumption. But beer has calories due to its own ingredients, and in addition, Profeco points out that some low-alcohol beers (now called soft drinks) are loaded with sugar.

We have the highest sugar content Erdinguer Weissbier, Tecate Cero and Old Milwaukee, along with Mahou 0.0 Tostada. Ultimately, it’s a matter of naming a product so that the consumer has a clearer understanding of certain things and the label of that product, so we’ll see if brands like Mahou will respond to this Profeco analysis.

In any case, the rise of non-alcoholic beer has happened beyond Europe, and as our colleagues at Xataka México point out, more non-alcoholic beer – sorry, a non-alcoholic malt-based beverage – is being drunk in the country, 64% more than in 2015.

Images | Profeco, Koefbac, Jorge Royan

At Xataka | In the United States, beer is made with water from showers and sinks. And for good reason