Elevated arsenic levels have been
detected in some brands of beer sold in Germany in recent years, but the
cause has remained somewhat unclear, until now.
Mehmet Coelhan, a researcher from the
Technical University of Munich, reported that hundreds of German beers
tested as part of routine monitoring system had higher than the World
Health Organization’s suggested water arsenic limit of 10 micro
grams per liter.
Coelhan presented his findings at the American Chemistry Society’s
National Meeting & Exposition in New Orleans this week. He said that
after testing the water, hops and malt, the team found that keiselguhr,
a filtering agent used to make the finished product look clear and
bright, was actually the culprit.
Coelhan stated that the World Health
Organization has determined that 10 micro grams per liter of arsenic in
drinking water is the “safe” limit. But some beers, in recent years,
have tested higher than that.
“When arsenic level in beer is higher
than in the water used during brewing, this excess arsenic must come
from other sources,” Coelhan noted. “That was a mystery to us. As a
consequence, we analyzed all materials, including the malt and the hops
used during brewing for the presence of arsenic.”
“They concluded that the arsenic was released into the beer from a filtering material called kieselguhr,
or diatomaceous earth, used to remove yeast, hops and other particles
and give the beer a crystal clear appearance. Diatomaceous earth
consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae
that lived millions of years ago. It finds wide use in filtering beer,
wine and is an ingredient in other products.”
Keiselguhr, known in English as
diatomaceous earth, or DE, is a powder placed at the spout of the tank
that collects unwanted sediment left over from fermentation
Metropolitan Brewing, a microbrewery in
Ravenswood, uses a DE filter for its German-inspired beers. “DE allows
for a higher level of processing. It’s more efficient for us,” said Doug
Hurst, head brewer with 25 years of experience brewing.
DE filtration is faster than other methods and is often used by
larger beer companies to speed up production. Coelhan’s research looked
exclusively at German beers. However, DE filtration is common stateside.
American giants including Anheuser Busch and Miller Brewing Co. use DE
to filter their products according to their websites.
“Coelhan pointed out that beers produced
in at least six other countries had higher arsenic amounts than German
beers, according to a report published four years ago. He said that
breweries, wineries and other food processors that use kieselguhr should be aware that the substance can release arsenic. Substitutes for kieselguhr are available, he noted, and simple measures like washing kieselguhr with water can remove the arsenic before use.”
Source:
planetsave.com
worldtruth.tv
