Consumer Council tested 30 beers on the market and found that all of them contained different types and concentrations of biogenic amines, which could potentially cause symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and vomiting if consumed in excess. Additionally, one sample was found to contain “DON,” also known as vomit toxin, excessive intake of which may lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever.
The Consumer Council purchased 30 pre-packaged canned or bottled beer samples on the market, ranging in price from 4.5 yuan to 50 yuan per can or bottle, with volumes ranging from 330 milliliters to 500 milliliters and alcohol content ranging from 3% to 8.0%. The primary focus of this test was to evaluate the nutritional value, safety, and quality of the samples.
Out of the 30 beer samples tested, 10 received the highest rating of 5 stars, with the lowest-priced being the “Skol” sample at 5 yuan per can. The Guinness sample had the lowest alcohol content and energy values, with an alcohol content test value of 4.12% and 33 kilocalories per 100 milliliters.
The Council’s testing revealed that all samples contained various types and concentrations of biogenic amines. For example, the “Carlsberg Danish Pilsner” sample detected a total of 7 biogenic amines, with higher levels of putrescine (84.7 mg) and cadaverine (47.6 mg); whereas the “Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale” sample detected 5 biogenic amines, with putrescine at 32.8 mg and significantly higher levels of cadaverine at 121.4 mg, making it the sample with the highest concentration of a single biogenic amine.
The Council noted that excessive intake of biogenic amines could lead to issues like headache, dizziness, vomiting, respiratory disorders, and even potential stroke. However, there are no specific safety regulations or standards set for biogenic amines in beer in Hong Kong or internationally.
In addition, the testing found that the “Harbin McDowell Beer” sample contained deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomit toxin, with a detection level of 26 micrograms per kilogram. The Council stated that excessive intake of DON could lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever within 30 minutes. However, based on the detected levels, consuming 4 cans a day would still be within a safe range for an adult weighing 60 kilograms.
The manufacturers responded that the products tested have always been produced and sold in mainland China without importation to Hong Kong. They also mentioned that the entire production and sales process of the product complies with relevant laws and regulations in mainland China. The detected levels of DON in the samples were stated to be in line with, and even lower than, the internal, mainland, and international standards set for grain products.
Consuming a lot of beer can lead to a “beer belly.” The Council’s testing found that beers with higher alcohol content also had higher calorie content. Using EU regulations as a reference, the energy values of the samples ranged from 33 to 66 kilocalories per 100 milliliters or from 112 to 230 kilocalories per can or bottle. The samples with the highest (66 kilocalories per 100 milliliters) and second-highest (57 kilocalories per 100 milliliters) energy values also had the highest (7.46%) and second-highest (7.42%) alcohol content.
As an example, a 330-milliliter can of beer with 5% alcohol content would contain approximately 13 grams of alcohol, equivalent to the calorie content of a bowl of rice. Drinking two cans a day for three consecutive months would mean consuming about 16,500 kilocalories just from alcohol, which could translate to about 5 pounds of fat tissue.
Furthermore, the testing revealed that 20% of the samples (6 varieties) had significant discrepancies between the detected alcohol content and their labeled values. The labeled alcohol content of all samples ranged from 3.0% to 8.0%, while the test results fell between 3.39% to 7.46%. Four samples had alcohol content levels that were higher by 0.5% or more than indicated, while two samples had levels lower by more than 0.5%. One sample labeled as “equal to or more than 3.7% alcohol” tested at 4.67%, a difference of up to 0.97% from the minimum value indicated.
The Council reminded that alcohol is a toxic substance that can lead to chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, stroke, liver cancer, cirrhosis, fatty liver, colorectal cancer, and erectile dysfunction. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol as “carcinogenic to humans”. Excessive alcohol intake can impact brain function and self-control, increasing the risk of accidents when intoxicated. Alcohol also affects carbohydrate metabolism in the liver and blood sugar levels, raising the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases.