# What's in my beer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970 "2002-05-20T17:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/1 "2002-05-20T17:34:32Z")
Why doesn’t beer have nutritional analysis labels, with the carbs and calories reported? ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/2 "2002-05-20T18:21:48Z")
Cecil’s column on beer ingredients [Does Budweiser beer contain … chicken hearts?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_356b.html) > [@](#): > > …[T]he booze industry has successfully resisted all attempts to force it to list ingredients, on the ridiculous grounds that doing so would be too expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/3 "2002-05-20T19:13:16Z")
The industry has a good lobby in DC. Some say this lobby also keeps pot illegal. ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/4 "2002-05-20T20:15:54Z")
But how does the alcohol industry get away with no labels? everything else I ingest is labeled. Doesn’t the USDA have rules about food labels. Is it that alcohol is not governed by the USDA and it is the ATF that is in charge? THanks for the archive search, I did one but didn’t get that particular thread. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/5 "2002-05-20T22:54:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cagiva650 \* > \*\*B Is it that alcohol is not governed by the USDA and it is the ATF that is in charge? > > \*\* That is indeed what it is. The ATF has plenty of rules about required and permissible labelling, but nutritional analysis is not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/6 "2002-05-20T23:16:45Z")
Buy German Beer, brewed in accordance with the “Reinheitsgebot” purity laws (dating back of 1516) which allow only barley malt, hops, yeast, and water to be used in the brewing process. But not Becks. Stupid crummy small bottles. ---
**Author:** ![Etherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Etherman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etherman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2002, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/7 "2002-05-20T23:23:56Z")
From the side of the busch light can: per 12 fl. oz. - Average Analysis: Calories, 110 Carbohydrates, 6.7 grams, Protein, 0.8 grams. Fat, 0.0 grams. Brewed from water, barley malt, select grains, hops and yeast. so some do, some dont ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/8 "2002-05-21T00:06:45Z")
You’re right **Etherman** Beers marketed as light beers must have the carbs, protein, fat and calories listed. I have been googling and found out that the ban on beer labels has been around for 65 odd years. It was to prevent beer from being marketed as a medicinal product. Need a cite? [http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html](http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html) [http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html](http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html) ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/9 "2002-05-21T00:09:13Z")
You’re right **Etherman** Beers marketed as light beers must have the carbs, protein, fat and calories listed. I have been googling and found out that the ban on beer labels has been around for 65 odd years. It was to prevent beer from being marketed as a medicinal product. Even if a brewery wants to provide a label it is still illegal!?!?!? [http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html](http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html) [http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html](http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html) ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/10 "2002-05-21T00:15:10Z")
You’re right **Etherman** Beers marketed as light beers must have the carbs, protein, fat and calories listed. I have been googling and found out that the ban on beer labels has been around for 65 odd years. It was to prevent beer from being marketed as a medicinal product. Even if a brewery wants to provide a label it is still illegal!?!?!? [http://www.michiganbeerguide.com/news.asp?articleid=32](http://www.michiganbeerguide.com/news.asp?articleid=32) [http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html](http://lpjc.home.att.net/promo/beermat.html) [http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html](http://www.geocities.com/irby.geo/bvm.html) ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/11 "2002-05-21T15:36:31Z")
(off topic) BTW, the main Tennents Brewery in Glasgow uses a natural stream (which runs through its grounds) in the process of its brewing. The stream, prior to reaching the brewery, passes downhill through the Necropolis (Glasgows main central graveyard, housing amongst others, John Knox). Perhaps the filtering through the long dead bodies helps to give the beer its distinctive flavour. (off topic ends) ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-my-beer/109970/12 "2002-05-21T17:46:06Z")
Hi **aro** I just checked out your homepage, you have been on some incredible treks, enjoyed the photos too. SO it is \* John Knox\*, floating in my _reformation ale_?