Ingredients & allergens

What's in beer?

Traditional beer is made from four basic ingredients: water, malted barley (or other grains), hops, and yeast. Many beers also include additional ingredients like fruits, spices, honey, or other flavourings.

Understanding what's in your beer starts with reading the label and knowing what information should be available.

What labels must show today

Under current EU regulations, beer labels are only required to show:

• Allergens - Any of the 14 major allergens must be highlighted (usually in bold or capitals)
• Alcohol content - The ABV percentage
• Volume - How much is in the container
• Date of minimum durability - Best-before date
• Name and address of producer - Or importer to the EU if it's produced outside the EU

Unlike most food products, beer has not been required to list all ingredients. This exemption still exists at EU level, though the industry has made voluntary commitments to provide more information.

The current situation: voluntary, not mandatory

Unlike wine (which has mandatory labeling requirements since December 2023), beer remains exempt from EU-wide ingredient and nutrition labeling laws. However, the brewing industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Commission in 2019, voluntarily committing to provide:

• A complete ingredients list
• Nutrition information (energy, at minimum)

By 2022, 95% of beer volumes sold in bottles and cans in the EU included an ingredients list, and 88% showed energy values according to The Brewers of Europe. This information can appear on the label itself or via electronic means such as a QR code.

Ireland leading the way

Ireland is set to become the first EU country to mandate comprehensive alcohol labeling. Under the Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023, all alcohol products sold in Ireland will need to include calorie content, grams of alcohol, and health warnings including cancer risk information. Originally planned for May 2026, implementation has been deferred to September 2028. This pioneering legislation may influence future EU-wide policy.

Common allergens in beer

The most relevant allergens for beer are:

• Gluten - Present in beers made with barley, wheat, rye, or oats (most beers)
• Sulphites - Sometimes added or naturally occurring

Other allergens that may occasionally appear include:

• Milk/lactose - In some stouts and sweet beers
• Nuts - In certain specialty beers
• Fish/isinglass - Sometimes used as a fining agent (not always declared)

What to look for

Gluten-free and low-gluten beers

There's an important distinction:

• Gluten-free - Must contain less than 20 ppm gluten. Can be made from gluten-free grains or from barley with gluten removed.
• Low-gluten or "gluten-reduced" - Contains reduced gluten but may still affect people with coeliac disease.

If you have coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, look for certified gluten-free products rather than "gluten-reduced" or "crafted to remove gluten" claims.

Pasteurisation

Pasteurisation is a heat treatment that kills unwanted microorganisms and extends shelf life. Many brewers use it as a standard step; others skip it and may voluntarily label their beer as unpasteurised — a claim popular in some markets as a quality or freshness signal. Unpasteurised beers are not necessarily "live" beers with active yeast, but they do tend to have shorter shelf lives and benefit from careful storage.