Non-alcoholic beer allows bacterial growth

According to a recent scientific study published in the Journal of Food Protection, low-alcoholic beers prevent bacterial growth, while non-alcoholic beers allow it. However, traditional alcoholic beers have been considered immune to food-borne pathogens, given their intrinsic properties and their processing that form an essential part of their manufacturing.

According to the above-mentioned study, given lower than 3.5 percent ABV, low- and non-alcoholic beers may be at risk of pathogenic growth if bacterial contamination is introduced at any step during their production. The study aims to investigate the impacts of ethanol concentration, storage temperature, and pH on the growth of five strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytigenes in low- to no alcohol-containing beers.

In low alcohol beers at 3.2 percent ABV, all microbes declined at 4°C but at 14°C, E. coli and S. enterica declined but persisted throughout the 63 day period, according to the study.