non-alcoholic “beer,”
also called NA, low-alcohol, near beer, small beer, or small ale, is a malt beverage with very low alcoholic content. Although the name might lead one to believe that a non-alcoholic beverage contains no measurable alcohol, this is not true. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as non-alcoholic beer because beer contains alcohol by definition. In the United States, although these products are colloquially called non-alcoholic beer, the actual labels read “non-alcoholic malt beverage” or “non-alcoholic brew.” These NA products may contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV), although there are global differences that can lead to confusion. In the United States, the term “non-intoxicating” was applied to all beverages with less than 0.5% ABV during Prohibition and has since morphed into “non-alcoholic.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not consider the terms “non-alcoholic” and “alcohol-free” synonymous. The term “alcohol-free” may be used in the United States only when the product contains no detectable alcohol. In the United Kingdom, alcohol-free or zero- alcohol beverages may contain measurable alcohol up to 0.05% ABV. Beverages labeled as dealcoholized, alcohol-removed, or non-alcoholic may not contain more than 0.5% ABV and those labeled low alcohol may not exceed 1.2% ABV. The European Union standard is wider than that of the United States or UK because alcohol-free applies to all beverages containing less than 0.5% ABV. Although there is no global agreement for reduced alcohol beer or wine, the worldwide codex standards for ethanol in some fruit juices, soft drinks, and baked goods are 0.3% to 1.0% ABV maximum; hence, interestingly, these products may contain equal or higher levels of alcohol derived from the use of flavoring extracts or natural fermentation than some categories of beer and wine.... ...
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