What is Coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is a lifelong dietary intolerance to gluten resulting in damage to the lining of the small bowel such that food is not absorbed properly. Even small amounts of gluten in foods may affect sufferers of coeliac disease and result in health problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even in the absence of symptoms.
Are people with Coeliac disease able to drink beer?
The majority of coeliac support groups and gastroenterology institutes advise that beer should be avoided by people with coeliac disease. However, this advice is not universally agreed to. If you have coeliac disease and wish to drink beer, Foster's recommends that you consult your General Practitioner prior to doing so.
The tests proscribed by the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority indicate that most Australian beers are not gluten-free. However, people with coeliac disease may be able to drink beer in moderation with no noticeable effect. Nonetheless, it is important to recognise that in a small percentage of cases, damage to the small bowel may occur.
In addition, it is likely that beers made with wheat may contain a higher level of gluten than traditional beers, and should not be consumed by people with coeliac disease. these are normally labelled as Wheat, or Weizen Beers. An example of a wheat beer is Redback Original Wheat Beer.
You or your doctor may wish to contact the Australian Gastroenterology Institute for the latest information on coeliac disease and beer.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a family of proteins contained in wheat. Similar proteins are found in cereal grains such as rye, triticale, barley and oats.
Is there Gluten in beer?
Traditional Beers
All beers are produced using varying quantities of barley malt, ie dried, germinated barley. In the brewing process the malt starch is solubilised in hot water as fermentable sugars. Only part of the malt protein is solubilised, and in the subsequent boiling of the extract much is degraded. Later steps in the brewing process also reduce the amount of malt protein found in beer. However some protein is essential for beer quality, particularly for beer presentation, since the beer foam (head) would be extremely poor without the protein.
It should also be noted that some beers are produced using a proportion of sugar syrups made from wheat starch, ie wheat flour from which most of the gluten has been removed. The processing of this starch to produce the syrups used in brewing would result in minimal contribution of gluten to beer.
Tests conducted in accordance with the procedure specified by the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA), suggest that traditional beers contain a level of gluten which is less than the level specified in the ANZFA Food Standards Code as "Low Gluten".
However, there are concerns that the ANZFA test is unreliable in cases where malt is present (such as beer) and therefore the test may not detect gluten-like materials contributed by malt. Furthermore, it is also unclear whether these gluten-like materials have a similar effect to gluten, and therefore whether they also affect people with coeliac disease in a negative way.
Wheat Beers
Wheat beers are speciality products and represent only a small proportion of the beer market in Australia. It is generally apparent from a beer's label that it is a wheat beer.
Wheat malt is a significant ingredient in wheat beer. The ANZFA test for gluten shows the presence of low levels of gluten in wheat beer. However, the level of gluten in wheat beer is higher than in traditional beers. Foster's recommends that people with coeliac disease should not consumer beers made with wheat malt.
Please note: This information is provided as a general guide only. It is not a substitute for advice from your General Practitioner. Foster's advises that people with coeliac disease who wish to drink beer should consult their General Practitioner.