Ginger beer is traditionally made with ginger, water, sugar and yeast. There are non-alcoholic versions of ginger beer which are carbonated and alcoholic versions which are fermented. It is the fermentation process which results in the ginger beer being alcoholic. It’s important to check the label of ginger beers as some formulations of ginger beer might contain barley malt extract to provide flavouring.

Foods and drinks that contain small amounts of barley malt extract can be eaten by people with coeliac disease if they contain 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten or less. Ginger beers which contain barley will have barley highlighted in the ingredients list, due to allergen labelling laws, but you won’t be able to tell how much has been used from the list alone, unless the product is labelled gluten free.

Previously, we listed products which contained barley malt extract in our Food Information Services if we’d received confirmation that the product contained 20 ppm or less of gluten. Under our new policy, we are asking food manufacturers who produce products made with ingredients from gluten containing grains, such as barley malt extract, to not only confirm to us that their products have been tested and shown to have no more than 20 ppm gluten, but also to label them gluten free. In the absence of a gluten free label they will no longer be included in our food information listings. We are continuing to engage with the manufacturers to achieve a commitment to enable these products to be labelled gluten free in the future.

If you see barley malt extract listed in a product that has no other gluten containing ingredients and it is not labelled gluten free but you would like it to be suitable for a gluten free diet and labelled gluten free, please let us know by emailing foodanddrink@coeliac.org.uk.

You may also like to consider contacting the manufacturer/retailer to express your views to them too. 

If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact our Helpline on 0333 332 2033.