For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, determining the gluten content of beer can be an important factor in choosing a brand to drink. Bud Light is one of the most popular beers in the United States, but does it contain gluten?
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. For most people, gluten is harmless. However, for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten can cause serious health issues like intestinal damage, malnutrition, and chronic diarrhea, gas and abdominal pain.
People with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity must follow a strict gluten-free diet, avoiding any products that contain gluten. This includes many beers, since traditional beer production involves malting barley or sometimes wheat. The gluten content of different beers can vary widely.
Is Bud Light Gluten-Free?
The simple answer is no, Bud Light is not gluten-free. While the gluten content is low, there are still trace amounts of gluten in Bud Light beer.
Bud Light is made by Anheuser-Busch. On their website, they clearly state:
“None of our products are crafting to be gluten-free. Products labeled as bud light, select, select 55, michelob ultra, michelob ultra pure gold, michelob ultra organic seltzer, stella artois and stella artois cider many contain trace amounts of gluten.”
So while Bud Light is low gluten, it is not fully gluten-free. The exact gluten content can vary between different production batches. People with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should avoid drinking Bud Light.
Gluten Content of Bud Light
According to Anheuser-Busch, the gluten content of Bud Light falls under 20 ppm (parts per million):
“All our beers that contain gluten have been verified by independent third-party testing to contain gluten levels that are less than 20 ppm.”
In the United States, any product containing less than 20 ppm of gluten can be labeled as “gluten-free”. However, many celiacs react to amounts far lower than this, as low as 10 ppm or even 5 ppm.
So while Bud Light meets the technical requirements to be labeled “gluten-free” in the US, many gluten-sensitive individuals will still need to avoid it due to the trace gluten content. Those highly sensitive should stick to beers that are produced from completely gluten-free ingredients.
Ingredients in Bud Light
What ingredients contribute to the trace amounts of gluten found in Bud Light?
Like most mass-produced American light lagers, Bud Light is brewed using a mix of cereal grains:
– Rice
– Barley Malt
– Water
– Hops
The main source of gluten is the barley malt. During the malting process, barley grains are steeped, germinated and then dried. This activates enzymes that help convert starches into sugars during brewing. Malted barley imparts color, flavor and fermentable sugars to the beer wort.
While the rice and water contain no gluten, and the hops are also gluten-free, the malted barley introduces a small amount of gluten into the finished Bud Light beer. Other grains like sorghum, millet or corn can be used in place of barley malt to produce gluten-free beers.
How Bud Light is Made
The typical process for making Bud Light and other mass-market lagers like it involves:
1. Milling the malted barley into coarse grist
2. Mixing the grist with rice and water to make mash
3. Transferring the mash to a brew kettle and boiling with hops
4. Cooling the hopped wort and transferring to a fermenter
5. Adding yeast to ferment the sugars into alcohol
6. Aging, filtering and packaging the beer
The gluten present mainly comes from the malted barley. However, there are opportunities during processing where cross-contamination from other grain sources could occur. This includes steps like milling and transferring between tanks. Strict protocols must be followed to prevent gluten cross-contact.
Testing for Gluten in Bud Light
To ensure Bud Light contains less than 20 ppm of gluten, Anheuser-Busch relies on advanced testing methods:
“We routinely test our products for gluten using the R5 Competitive ELISA test, which is approved by Health Canada and is able to detect levels as low as 3 ppm.”
The R5 ELISA test uses monoclonal antibodies targeted to detect residual gliadins from wheat, barley, rye or their crossbred varieties. This provides an accurate gluten measurement down to 3-5 ppm.
Continual gluten testing allows the brewery to verify their gluten-removal processes result in finished beers with less than 20 ppm of gluten. Testing is important, since ingredient and process changes could increase gluten levels above the accepted threshold.
Are Gluten Testing Methods Reliable?
Some skepticism exists around the accuracy of gluten test kit results. The ELISA methods rely on detecting certain protein fragments. But gluten proteins can break down during brewing, leaving fragments not detectable by the test antibodies.
There is a possibility more whole gluten proteins could remain in solution than the test results indicate. So Bud Light could have slightly higher gluten levels than what is reported from testing. Sensitive individuals should take test results with caution. When in doubt, avoid.
Barley and Gluten in Bud Light
Let’s take a more in-depth look at barley malt, the main source of gluten in Bud Light:
Gluten Content of Barley
Barley inherently contains gluten. According to testing of many malted barley varieties, the gluten content ranges from:
– 0.47% to 1.99% for 2-row malting barleys
– 0.64% to 2.76% for 6-row malting barleys
So malted barley can start with anywhere from 470 ppm to 2760 ppm of gluten before brewing. Bud Light must remove most of this gluten to reach final levels under 20 ppm.
Removing Gluten During Brewing
The first step is milling the barley malt into grist. The gluten-containing endosperm remains encased inside the husk particles. This limits gluten dispersal at this stage.
During mashing, the starches in the endosperm are converted to fermentable sugars. The process does not eliminate much gluten.
The husks are then filtered out of the sweet wort before boiling. This should remove a significant portion of the raw gluten content.
Further gluten reduction happens during:
– Boiling – Protein aggregates form that can be removed
– Fermentation – Gluten peptides are partially broken down
– Filtration – Remaining particles with gluten are filtered out
Final gluten levels depend heavily on the effectiveness of these gluten-removal steps. Advanced filtration systems like membrane filtration, centrifugation and silica filtration can help maximize gluten reduction in beers like Bud Light.
Rice Addition Dilutes Gluten
Another factor that reduces Bud Light’s gluten content is the addition of rice. Since rice contains no gluten, it helps dilute the levels of gluten from the barley malt.
Rice makes up around 30% of the total grains used in Bud Light. The gluten from the barley gets diluted by the rice, helping lower final levels.
Is Bud Light Safe for Celiacs?
Despite containing less than 20 ppm of gluten, Bud Light is generally not considered safe for people with celiac disease.
Here are a few reasons celiacs should still avoid Bud Light:
Gluten Dose Matters
Celiac disease is triggered by consuming too much gluten. Even tiny amounts add up, especially with beer consumed in larger volumes. One 12 oz beer may stay under a dangerous dose, but drinking several can accumulate gluten over the safe threshold.
Oats Controversy
There is debate around whether oats are safe for celiacs or not. Most oats are cross-contaminated with wheat, barley or rye. Yet many celiacs can tolerate pure, uncontaminated oats.
A similar controversy surrounds ultra low gluten barley beers. The 20 ppm cut-off may be overly permissive, while true safety for celiacs remains unclear. Caution is advised.
Differences Between Individuals
Each celiac has a unique sensitivity level to gluten. While some can handle small exposures without reaction, others show symptoms at just 5-10 ppm. There is no universal “safe” amount that applies to all celiacs.
Due to individual variability and uncertainty around safety, most celiacs avoid beers like Bud Light that contain any detectable gluten.
Gluten-Free Beers
For celiacs and gluten-sensitive individuals wishing to enjoy a beer, there are some great gluten-free options available:
Craft Gluten-Removed Beers
Some craft breweries make traditional barley beers, then remove the gluten using advanced filtration processes. Omission, Ghostfish and Glutenberg use this method to make tasty gluten-free beers.
Sorghum Beers
Sorghum has emerged as a popular gluten-free brewing grain. Dogfish Head Tweason’ale, Ground Breaker Dark Ale and New Planet Pale Ale rely on sorghum instead of barley malt.
Ancient Grain Beers
Gluten-free ancient grains like millet, buckwheat and quinoa can also make delicious gluten-free brews. Examples include Evasion Saison by Brunehaut and Green’s Belgian Ale.
Cider & Wine Alternatives
Finally, dry ciders and most wines are gluten-free. Angry Orchard, Strongbow and Ace apples ciders give a beer-like alternative without any gluten.
Is Bud Light Gluten-Free?
To summarize:
– Bud Light contains trace amounts of gluten from the barley malt used
– Gluten test results show levels are under 20 ppm
– Those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should avoid Bud Light
– Truly gluten-free beer alternatives are available
While not completely gluten-free, Bud Light is considered low gluten thanks to processing steps that remove most of the original barley gluten. People with mild gluten sensitivity may be able to drink Bud Light without issues. But celiacs should choose a certified gluten-free beer to avoid adverse reactions.
Conclusion
When it comes to Bud Light and gluten, the answer is definitive – Bud Light does contain a small amount of gluten. For people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it is not considered safe for consumption due to even trace amounts causing issues.
While advanced brewing processes reduce the gluten content to under 20 ppm, Bud Light is not fully gluten-free. Those seeking a beer without gluten should look for craft beers made entirely from gluten-free grains. Or try widely available ciders and wines to enjoy a gluten-free alternative to Bud Light.