Gluten-free diets are becoming increasingly popular, even among people who do not have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. With more people avoiding gluten for health or lifestyle reasons, the demand for gluten-free beer options has grown substantially. One popular beer that often comes up in discussions about gluten-free choices is Stella Artois. So, is normal Stella gluten-free? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Stella Artois?
Stella Artois is a classic European lager that originated in Leuven, Belgium in 1926. It was initially brewed as a Christmas holiday beer by a Belgian brewery called Den Hoorn. In 1993, the brewery merged with another Belgian brewery called Artois to form Interbrew. Today, Stella Artois is brewed globally by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer.
Stella Artois is a pilsner-style lager beer. It has a clean, crisp, refreshing taste with subtle malt sweetness and a hint of bitterness from its hoppy flavor. Stella Artois contains water, malted barley, hops, and yeast as its main ingredients. It typically has an alcohol by volume (ABV) between 4.8% and 5.2%.
Does Stella Artois Contain Gluten?
Yes, regular Stella Artois does contain gluten. The main source of gluten in Stella Artois is the malted barley used in the brewing process. Barley is a gluten-containing grain. During the malting process, gluten proteins develop in the barley grain, helping to create the right color and malted flavor in the final beer.
Most major beer brands, including Stella Artois, Guinness, Heineken, Corona, and Budweiser use malted barley and are not considered gluten-free. The malting process converts the starch in barley into fermentable sugars, allowing the yeast to produce alcohol and carbonation during fermentation. The gluten proteins remain present in the final beer.
Gluten Content in Stella Artois
Testing has shown that a typical 330 ml serving of Stella Artois contains between 2 – 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. By comparison, most gluten-free beers contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.
The exact gluten content can vary between different batches of Stella Artois, depending on the brewing and production process. But all versions contain gluten well above the accepted standard for gluten-free products. For example, beers certified gluten-free by organizations like the Gluten Intolerance Group must contain less than 10 ppm of gluten.
Stella Artois Wheat Beer
Some varieties of Stella Artois, such as Stella Artois Cidre and Stella Artois White, are brewed with wheat instead of barley malt. These wheat versions also contain gluten and are not safe for a gluten-free diet. So no products in the Stella Artois family are gluten-free.
Is There a Gluten-Free Version of Stella Artois?
No, Anheuser-Busch InBev has not launched any gluten-free versions of Stella Artois at this time. The classic Stella Artois recipe relies on barley malt as a core ingredient, making a gluten-free version difficult to produce while maintaining the iconic Stella Artois flavor.
Some breweries have created gluten-removed versions of their beers using special enzymes to break down the gluten proteins after brewing. This can reduce gluten to undetectable traces. However, Stella Artois does not currently offer a gluten-removed version.
Gluten-Free Beers from Anheuser-Busch
While there is no gluten-free Stella Artois, Anheuser-Busch InBev does produce some other gluten-free beer options:
- Bud Light Next – This light lager is made with quinoa, rice, and millet for a gluten-free brew.
- Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold – A gluten-free light lager made with organic grains.
- Redbridge – A sorghum-based gluten-free lager launched in 2006.
So people looking for a gluten-free choice from major beer brands can try these options from the same parent company as Stella Artois.
Gluten-Free Beers Similar to Stella Artois
While Stella Artois is not gluten-free, some breweries have created gluten-free beers with a similar light, crisp, Euro lager taste. Here are some recommended options to consider:
Omission European Lager
Omission beers are crafted to remove gluten during the brewing process. Their European-Style Lager is fermented with traditional lager yeast to produce a light, fizzy beer reminiscent of Stella. It contains less than 10 ppm of gluten.
New Grist Pilsner
Brewed by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, New Grist is an award-winning gluten-free pilsner. It’s crafted from sorghum, rice, hops, water, and yeast. New Grist offers a clean, refreshing, pilsner-style flavor profile similar to Stella Artois.
Ghostfish Grapefruit IPA
For gluten-free beer drinkers who prefer ales to lagers, Ghostfish Brewing from Seattle offers a tasty grapefruit-infused IPA. It’s gluten-free and deliver fruity, citrusy notes while still being clean and easy to drink. IPAs make a good alternative to lagers like Stella Artois.
Green’s Discovery Amber Ale
Green’s is a pioneering English gluten-free beer brand. Their Discovery Amber Ale gets its rich amber color and sweet, bready maltiness from roasted sorghum and buckwheat. The natural caramel flavors make this ale a unique substitute for Stella Artois.
Is Stella Artois Safe for People with Celiac Disease?
No, Stella Artois is not considered safe for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. The presence of gluten-containing barley malt in Stella Artois means there is a significant risk of an adverse reaction for those who need to strictly avoid gluten.
For people with celiac disease, consuming gluten triggers damage to the small intestine and interferes with nutrient absorption. This can lead to symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, and fatigue.
Gluten exposure in people with celiac disease also increases the risk of developing other autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, infertility, neurological conditions, and certain cancers. That’s why following a 100% gluten-free diet with zero cross-contamination is critical for their health.
Gluten Tolerance Varies
People with a wheat allergy should also avoid Stella Artois due to the gluten content. The severity of gluten reactions can vary based on individual sensitivity levels. For those with milder gluten issues or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, an occasional beer like Stella Artois may be tolerated with only minor symptoms.
However, it’s impossible to predict someone’s reaction to gluten. Trace amounts can trigger symptoms in some people with celiac disease or wheat allergy. So conventional beers like Stella Artois are not considered worth the risk for anyone who needs to follow a strict gluten-free diet.
Can Stella Artois Be Part of a Gluten-Free Diet?
Most mainstream medical and gluten-free dietary recommendations indicate that conventional barley-based beers like Stella Artois should be avoided on a gluten-free diet:
- The Celiac Disease Foundation states that products containing wheat, rye, and barley (including beer) must be eliminated.
- The Mayo Clinic gluten-free diet guidelines advise avoiding beer and ales brewed from gluten grains.
- The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center recommends avoiding beers brewed from gluten-containing grains.
However, an occasional beer like Stella Artois may be tolerated by some individuals who follow a gluten-free diet and do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy. This will depend on the person’s individual sensitivity level and reaction to gluten.
People with mild gluten issues can experiment with drinking beers like Stella Artois in moderation to determine if they experience any negative symptoms. But those with celiac disease or who need to strictly avoid gluten for medical reasons should not consume conventional barley-based beers.
Being Cautious
When there is uncertainty about the gluten content of a food or beverage product, the cautious approach for anyone with celiac disease or sensitivity is to avoid consuming it. Since the classic Stella Artois recipe does contain gluten well above the accepted standard for gluten-free, most experts advise excluding it from a gluten-free diet.
Drinking Stella Artois at Restaurants and Bars
When considering whether to order Stella Artois at a restaurant or bar, it’s important to be aware of potential cross-contamination issues. Beer tap lines and glasses may be contaminated with gluten from other beer brands containing barley or wheat. For those who need to avoid gluten for medical reasons, that risk should be taken seriously.
Some tips for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to reduce the risk of cross-contamination when ordering drinks like Stella Artois on draught include:
- Ask if the establishment has designated gluten-free taps, hoses, and glassware for gluten-free beer. Use those to order gluten-free beer brands.
- Request a fresh, clean glass for any conventional beer like Stella Artois to avoid traces from other beers.
- Verify draught beer lines are flushed between different beer brands.
- Avoid beer flights and sampler trays where multiple beer taps use the same glassware.
- Stick to packaged beer or cider options in bottles, cans, or sealed containers.
While being cautious helps lower the risk, there is no way to fully eliminate the chance of cross-contamination when ordering barley-based beer at restaurants or bars. People with celiac disease may want to avoid alcohol or bring their own gluten-free beer to social gatherings.
What About Gluten-Removed Beers?
In recent years, some breweries have developed “gluten-removed” beer using special enzymes to break down gluten proteins in regular barley-based beers after brewing. This can reduce gluten levels to below 10 ppm, meeting the threshold to qualify as gluten-free per FDA regulations.
However, gluten-removed beer is controversial in the celiac disease community. Some key considerations include:
- Testing methods cannot detect all gluten peptide fragments leftover after enzymatic hydrolysis.
- Trace amounts of gluten can still trigger symptoms and damage in those highly sensitive.
- The fermentation process can reintroduce small amounts of gluten.
- There is a lack of research on long-term safety for people with celiac disease.
Due to these uncertainties, many organizations including Beyond Celiac, Celiac Disease Foundation, and University of Chicago advise avoiding gluten-removed beers if you have celiac disease or need to eliminate gluten for medical reasons.
People with milder sensitivities or those just avoiding gluten by choice may find gluten-removed beers an acceptable option. But anyone with celiac disease should exercise caution and rely on beers specifically brewed gluten-free.
Individual Factors
Some people with celiac disease do report tolerating gluten-removed beers without issues. However, this depends on individual sensitivity levels. Caution is still advised, especially when newly diagnosed. Those who experience negative symptoms after consuming gluten-removed beers should avoid them in the future.
Bottom Line
So is Stella Artois gluten-free? No, regular Stella Artois contains gluten and is not suitable for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity based on all major medical and gluten-free dietary recommendations. While an occasional beer may be tolerated by some individuals with milder gluten issues, Stella Artois and other common barley-based beers pose too much risk for anyone who needs to completely remove gluten from their diet for medical reasons.
Thankfully, there are many great gluten-free beers available today including lagers, ales, IPAs and more, made from ingredients like sorghum, buckwheat, rice, corn, and millet. Those require adherence to a strict gluten-free diet can enjoy the refreshing taste of beer safely by choosing validated gluten-free brands.
