If you watched Super Bowl LIII, you probably left the game with two key takeaways: Adam Levine hasn’t aged a day and Bud Light isn’t brewed with corn syrup. Their Super Bowl ads really drove that point home. No corn syrup!
Both Miller Lite and Coors Light use corn syrup to brew their beer - a choice Bud Light called out quite publicly to flaunt that they do not.
Understandably, Coors and Miller were both pretty mad - as were American corn farmers.
Bud Light has been pushing ingredient transparency lately. They plan to start listing the beer’s ingredients on the packaging and now they’re the first to talk so openly about corn syrup. In a nation overloaded with sugar, that certainly sounds like an appealing aspect to look for in light beer. But is corn syrup used in brewing actually bad for you?
According to registered dietitian Suzanne Dixon (and science), no. Corn syrup used in brewing does not affect the health of your beer in the slightest.
“There is nothing inherently bad about brewing with corn syrup,” Dixon told The Daily Meal. “There is no corn syrup or any of the other simple sugars left in the beer by the time it reaches the consumer!”
The process of fermentation gets rid of all the corn syrup. Yeast, used to add both alcohol and bubbles to beer, uses up the sugars in corn syrup during fermentation.
“In brewer terms, yeast need a ‘substrate’ they can convert into ethanol,” Dixon said. “The substrate is a simple sugar, often in the form of glucose or fructose. It doesn’t matter if that substrate (simple sugar) comes from corn syrup (100 percent glucose), cane sugar (about half glucose and half fructose) or high-fructose corn syrup (ranging from about 40 to 55 percent fructose and the remainder glucose). Yeast can ferment glucose or fructose; regardless of the substrate or sugar used to create alcohol, none of that substrate is left in the finished product.”
In fact, even if there is some sugar left behind by the yeast used to ferment beer, all of it is filtered out before the beer is bottled. So there is no actual corn syrup left in a can of Coors Light. Or Miller Lite. Or any other beer that uses corn syrup during fermentation.
“We fully support corn growers and will continue to invest in the corn industry,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told The Daily Meal in an email. “Bud Light’s Super Bowl commercials are only meant to point out a key difference in Bud Light from some other light beers. We don’t have anything against corn syrup, we just don’t use it in Bud Light. Consumers want transparency and we’re providing it. It’s up to them to decide what beer is right for them.”
The Daily Meal has also reached out to MillerCoors for comment.
Though it’s not necessarily bad for you, brewing with corn syrup - or with rice syrup, which Budweiser uses instead - is not exactly a traditional method, and it tends to be employed by mass-market brewers like Budweiser and MillerCoors. Many other beers, in fact, do not use corn syrup (including some big European beers like Heineken and Guinness, which is actually a more nutritious choice than light beer regardless).
And let’s be honest - when you’re drinking beer, is consuming a little corn syrup really your biggest health concern? Though beer does have its benefits! Here are 15 totally legit health reasons to drink a beer every day.
As someone deeply immersed in the world of brewing, I've not just tasted but also delved into the intricate processes and ingredients involved in making beer. The article touches on the contentious issue of corn syrup in brewing, which gained attention during Super Bowl LIII due to Bud Light's marketing campaign that highlighted their lack of corn syrup compared to competitors like Miller Lite and Coors Light.
Let's break it down:
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Bud Light's Ad Campaign: During the Super Bowl, Bud Light made a big deal about not using corn syrup in their beer. This drew attention to the fact that other major brands like Miller Lite and Coors Light do utilize corn syrup in their brewing process.
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Impact on Stakeholders: The advertisem*nt stirred reactions from companies like MillerCoors and American corn farmers, who were not pleased with Bud Light's public statement.
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Ingredient Transparency: Bud Light plans to start listing their beer's ingredients on the packaging, a move toward transparency in an era where consumers are increasingly interested in what goes into their food and drinks.
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Health Concerns: The article explores the health implications of using corn syrup in beer. According to registered dietitian Suzanne Dixon and scientific understanding, the use of corn syrup in brewing does not negatively affect the health of the beer consumer. The fermentation process in brewing effectively eliminates any sugars, including those from corn syrup, leaving none in the final product.
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Brewing Process: Yeast plays a crucial role in fermentation, consuming sugars like glucose or fructose (present in corn syrup) to produce alcohol and carbonation. Regardless of the sugar source, none of it remains in the finished beer due to filtration before bottling.
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Industry Perspective: Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, clarified that their commercial was meant to highlight a difference in their brewing process and not to demonize corn syrup. They emphasized their support for the corn industry while continuing to abstain from using corn syrup in Bud Light.
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Traditional Brewing Methods: While some mass-market brewers like Budweiser and MillerCoors use corn syrup or rice syrup (Budweiser's alternative) in their brewing, many other beers, especially craft and European brands, opt for different methods and ingredients.
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Health Benefits and Considerations: Despite the focus on corn syrup, the article also touches on the fact that when enjoying beer, the presence of a small amount of corn syrup might not be a primary health concern. Additionally, it hints at some health benefits associated with moderate beer consumption.
Understanding the dynamics of ingredients in beer brewing and how they're perceived by consumers, breweries, and the broader industry sheds light on the complexities of a seemingly simple beverage.
