For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto page.

Americans love their beer. But because of the way beer is currently regulated in the U.S., there is no way to know for sure which ingredients are added to a particular brand unless its manufacturer voluntarily labels them — and most don’t.

A recent inquiry into the ingredient contents of several major beer brands has revealed the presence of questionable additives like genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are nowhere to be found on the labels. More than just simple water, barley malt, hops and yeast, many of America’s favorite beers contain hidden flavor enhancers and preservatives that could pose a health threat.

Vani Hari, also known as the “Food Babe,” recently sent an email to MillerCoors on June 3 asking about the ingredients in popular Miller and Coors products. She was told that the company’s beers contain a mixture of the usual beer ingredients alongside corn syrup, a refined corn derivative that typically comes from GM corn.

“Our Beers are essentially a mixture of natural ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Corn Syrup, Hops, and Yeast,” reads the email response from MillerCoors. The letter goes on to explain what each of the ingredients is for, placing specific emphasis on corn syrup as giving beer “a milder and lighter-bodied flavor.”

Fair enough. Except that the MillerCoors website, along with the company’s Facebook page, omit corn syrup altogether as an ingredient. The MillerCoors “Beer Nutrition Facts and Codes” website page only lists water, barley malt, corn, yeast, and hops as ingredients, with no mention anywhere of corn syrup.

Why is this important? As you may already know, whole GM corn is currently not allowed to be sold on the consumer market — only corn derivatives like corn syrup are permitted for commercial sale. Whole corn is also entirely different from corn syrup, which is a highly-refined sugar linked to obesity and heart disease.