The Ohio Division of Liquor Control cites purchases of premium alcoholic beverages as a driving force of 2009's record-breaking profits of $224.2 million, and consumers doling out their cash are expecting a safe, perfect product.
People might be spending more on alcohol, but they are spending it on higher quality products, which cost more, said Brad Clark, brew master at Jackie O's Pub and Brewery, 24 W. Union St.
Jackie O's has been offering higher end beers to meet demand, he added.
Patrons are showing increased interest in how their favorite beverages are made and what goes into them, Clark said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the regulatory agency that decides permissible amounts of additives in foods, including alcoholic beverages, said Ira Allen, a spokesman for the FDA.
The FDA classifies two types of additives: direct additives that are added to food products for a specific reason such as preserving or coloring; and indirect additives that are added (in trace amounts) through packaging, storing or handling, according to the FDA's Web site.
For safety reasons, all additives - direct or indirect - are subject to FDA regulation, Allen said.
Some additives, including filtering agents, can be allergens. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau is looking into adding potential allergens to labels on alcoholic beverages, said Art Resnick, director of Public and Media Affairs for the Bureau.
The Bureau, which is a division of the Treasury Department, is the federal institution that reviews and regulates all labels on alcoholic beverages, he said.
Many methods of filtering or clarifying beer are available, said Clark.
I don't filter because I think it strips the beer of flavor and aroma. Giving the beer time to settle helps to make the beer less cloudy
he added.
Clark uses a clarification product called Irish Moss, which is made from seaweed.
Irish Moss a coagulate is extremely common. It's used to collect any solids in the beer and make it clearer
Clark said.
Isinglass is another popular clarification product, but Clark has some reservations about it and doesn't use it.
Isinglass is made from fish bladders. The problem with using it is that it's part of an animal
he said.
Using isinglass limits the number of consumers by excluding vegetarians and vegans, he added.
The question up for debate by the Bureau is the amount of allergens that is acceptable in products, Resnick said.
Additives, both direct and indirect, used in food must meet the FDA's criterion of reasonable certainty of no harm
he said.
There are no numeric guidelines that deem an additive as safe, Allen said. There is no litmus test. Additives (in products) are decided on case by case
he added.
1
News
