Fish in Beer??

Louise77

Hi,

Just reading a few weblinks and turns out that most beers require a processing aid made from fish bladder - new legislation may require this to be put on the label - so my question is do you think anybody would care as it has been used for hundreds of years and there has never been a recorded case of an allergic reaction....?

L

Alun

It's called Isinglass, and as you say it's been used for ages to clear beers and wines. I'd think it was more of a concern for vegetarians and vegans though than people with allergies. Are there people who are allergic to fish and/or fish products?

rubadub

Isinglass is one. I think chitin is shellfish based and is also used for clearing beer. So is gelatine, which can be made from horses. I think it is odd that alcohol has always been excluded from madatory ingredients and calorific/nutritional value info. They put all sorts of crap in cheap whiskey and gin.
I knew vegans who got a list of beers and ciders that do not use animal based finings (products to clear beer). An alternative is bentonite, filtering or nothing at all.
There is only trace amounts in the beer, it is more the fact that it is used in the making that vegans are against (at least my mates were).