Ethanol Testing for Non-Alcoholic Beer

ALCOHOL-FREE SHOULDN’T MEAN UNCERTAIN

Producing non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beer comes with extra scrutiny. Legal thresholds for ABV must be precisely met, often below 0.05% or 0.5%, depending on the market. A few points over, and you risk fines, product recalls, or relabelling.

One leading global brewer turned to Ellutia for a reliable, in-house testing solution to safeguard their alcohol-free range. The challenge is accurately confirming that finished products remain below legal alcohol limits while keeping pace with a commercial production schedule.

In the UK, drinks labelled as “alcohol‑free” must contain no more than 0.05% ABV according to GOV.UK. In the U.S., the FDA permits up to 0.5% ABV for “non‑alcoholic” beers, per the TTB.

Global demand for alcohol-free beer is projected to grow 7.5% annually through 2027, but a recent industry study found 12% of tested samples exceeded legal ABV limits.

GC-FID Ethanol Testing for Non-Alcoholic Beer

Ethanol levels in non-alcoholic beer are often under 0.1%, requiring extremely sensitive and consistent measurement. Our 200 Series GC with Flame Ionisation Detection (FID) meets that challenge head-on, delivering quantifiable results down to 0.01%.

Compact and production-friendly system
Straightforward sample prep, no dilution or solvents needed
Tested with real-world alcohol-free beer samples (0.03% to 0.09%)
Repeatable, reliable performance across different batches

ETHANOL TESTING FOR QUALITY, REGULATION, AND TRUST

Ethanol testing is more than a box-ticking exercise. It’s how you:

Protect the accuracy of your label
Maintain product consistency across batches
Catch fermentation or packaging faults early
Prove compliance to retailers and regulators
Stay competitive in a growing alcohol-free market

In-House ABV Testing That Integrates with Brewing Workflows

In real production settings, there’s no room for delays. The 200 Series GC integrates seamlessly into daily brewery routines.

Whether used for:

Mid-fermentation checks
Final pre-packaging validation
Routine batch spot-checks

This system gives you control and confidence, with no need to send samples to external labs or wait days for results.

Get in touch

Tell us about your testing requirements.

We’ll recommend the right setup

Our experts match you with the best GC system and method.

Start testing with confidence

Accurate results, made simple.

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MISSED OUR WEBINAR? DETECTING UNEXPECTED NITROSAMINE CONTAMINATION

One of the biggest challenges in nitrosamine analysis is identifying contaminants you’re not expecting. Standard testing methods like GC or LC can detect known nitrosamines but only if you have the right reference standards. Unexpected nitrosamines, however, can easily go unnoticed.

In this webinar, we explore practical analytical strategies that can help uncover potential nitrosamine contaminants even when specific standards aren't available. If your current methods rely heavily on predefined targets, this session will highlight ways to reduce risk and gain a clearer picture of contamination.

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Ethanol Testing in Non-Alcoholic Beer

VERIFY COMPLIANCE. PROTECT FLAVOUR. STAY TRUSTED BY CUSTOMERS AND REGULATORS.

ALCOHOL-FREE SHOULDN’T MEAN UNCERTAIN

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GC-FID Ethanol Testing for Non-Alcoholic Beer

ETHANOL TESTING FOR QUALITY, REGULATION, AND TRUST

In-House ABV Testing That Integrates with Brewing Workflows