Weak Budweiser still complies with US law: Anheuser Busch InBev
“New independent tests by CNN prove alcohol content in Budweiser beers and labels comply with the law,” said AB InBev in a Facebook post published Saturday that links to a YouTube video uploaded by CNN.
The world’s biggest brewer took to social media channels last week to fight back against claims in a Californian class action that claims it uniformly overstates alcohol levels on its key beer brands.
Bud Light a little light…
The small-scale tests carried out by San Diego-based White Labs on behalf of CNN show that one bottle of Budweiser had an alcohol content of just 4.94%.
For a bottle of Bud Light, the label showed 4.2%, while the test result was 4.14%; for Bud Light Lime the respective levels were 4.2% and 4.13%, while Bud Ice clocked 5.5% and 5.35%.
But an official at the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau told CNN that actual alcohol levels had to come within 3/10th of what was stated on the label, so all four tests results demonstrated legal compliance.
CNN sponsored tests involved running the four beers through an Anton Parr alcolyzer– to measure ABV, samples, where the machine is accurate to 1-2/100th of one per cent.
‘They must have tested one of these’: AB InBev
Attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case against AB InBev claim that a typical bottle of Budweiser contains 4.7% alcohol.
Josh Boxer, attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN: “The most accurate data… is going to come from Anheuser Busch, because they do their testing six times per second. And they use different technology, actually, than the laboratory you used.”
Peter Kraemer, VP of brewing and supply, said: “The test sample results you provided are well within the variability of the all-natural brewing process, and all in full compliance with all alcohol labeling laws.”
In an ironic jibe at the class action launched last week, AB InBev also posted an advert on Facebook with the legend ‘They Must Have Tested One of These’, showing a can of drinking water (see left).
The world’s biggest brewer said it had donated 71m such cans to the American Red Cross and other disaster relief organizations worldwide.
AB InBev added: “But in every other circumstance, the Anheuser-Busch logo is our ironclad guarantee that the beer in your hand is the best beer we know how to brew. We take no shortcuts and make no exceptions. Ever.”
