Banned! 6 Ingredients You Won’t Find In Your Beer

Although the craft beer movement has led to an explosion of creativity in brewing, the US has stringent regulations regarding what can and cannot be included in food and beverages, including beer.

And here are six ingredients that are banned in beer in the United States. Some of them may be new to you, others not, and if you’re like us, some you may have never heard of.

Thujone

Thujone is a chemical compound found in several plants, including wormwood, which is famously associated with absinthe.

While absinthe has been reintroduced to the market with strict limits on thujone content, beers containing high levels of thujone are banned.

You see, thujone is considered a neurotoxin at high levels, leading to its restriction in food and beverages.

Coumarin

Coumarin is a natural compound found in tonka beans and some cinnamon species. It has a sweet smell, often described as similar to vanilla.

However, coumarin is banned as a food additive in the United States because of its potential to cause liver damage and toxicity in humans.

Some European beers traditionally use coumarin-containing ingredients, (they don’t care about liver damage?), but these are not permitted in the states.

Calamus

Calamus, or sweet flag, is a plant whose root has been used in traditional medicine and as a flavoring agent in alcoholic beverages.

However, the FDA has banned calamus in food and beverages due to its carcinogenic properties observed in animal studies. So yeah, we don’t need that in our beer.

Hemp or Cannabis-Derived Ingredients

Although hemp and CBD have gained popularity in various products, the cannabis-derived ingredients in beer remains highly regulated.

THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, is banned on a national level in food and beverages, including beer.

While some non-psychoactive hemp derivatives are allowed in certain states, any beer containing THC or unapproved cannabis extracts is illegal in the US at least for now. Yes, there are cannabis beverages available in states where recreational cannabis products are legal. But you won’t find it as a brewing ingredient in either craft or mass-market beer as things stand now.

But if, or maybe when, cannabis  does become legal on a national level, we expect that to change dramatically.

Bitter Orange Peel (with High Levels of Synephrine)

Bitter orange peel is often used in brewing for its flavor, particularly in Belgian-style ales.

However, if the bitter orange peel contains high levels of synephrine, a compound similar to ephedrine, the key ingredient in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, it may be banned.

Like methamphetamine, synephrine can have stimulant effects on the body.

Certain Preservatives

Some preservatives commonly used in food and beverages outside the US are banned in American beer.

For example, sodium benzoate and potassium bromate are restricted due to potential health risks, including cancer and DNA damage and no one wants that.

Brewers in the US must use only approved preservatives in their beer production that meet FDA guidelines. And besides, hops serve as their own preservatives.