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Introduction On 1 May 2018 Scotland introduced a minimum unit price (MUP) of GB50 pence per unit of alcohol (8 g) sold. We analysed household purchase data to assess the impact of MUP in shifting purchases from higher to lower strength beers. Methods Data from Kantar Worldpanel's household shopping panel, with 75 376 households and 4.76 million alcohol purchases, 2015-2020. We undertook interrupted time series analyses of the impact of introducing MUP in Scotland on changes in the proportion of the volume of purchased beer with an alcohol by volume (ABV) 3.5%. MUP was associated with reduced purchases of grams of alcohol within beer by 8% (95% CI 7.8-8.3), increasing to 9.6% (95% CI 9.3-9.9), when accounting for the moderating impact of shifts to lower strength beer. Discussion and Conclusions MUP seems an effective policy to reduce off-trade purchases of alcohol and encourage shifts to lower strength beers.

The microbiological stabilization treatment of beer sometimes guarantees the absence of microbiota. These treatments, however, are not usually done in craft beers. In this study, we have analyzed 38 craft beers from the Spanish market and found that, in 68% of cases, exogenous microbiota is present. The samples have been classified based on their alcohol content and the results have shown a large presence of wild yeasts in 100% of the contaminated beers with alcohol by volume (ABV) 6%, the wild yeasts were only present in 41% of the samples; however, bacterial contaminants were detected in 50% of the samples. We also found that incorporating higher amounts of raw materials results in the presence of contaminant microbiota. These situations may be due to excessive manual operations, the lack of automation during cleaning and, above all, the absence of a stabilization treatment in the finished product.

The number of bubbles likely to form in a glass of beer is the result of the fine interplay between dissolved CO2, tiny particles or glass imperfections acting as bubble nucleation sites, and ascending bubble dynamics. Experimental and theoretical developments about the thermodynamic equilibrium of dissolved and gas-phase carbon dioxide (CO2) were made relevant to the bottling and service of a commercial lager beer, with 5% alcohol by volume and a concentration of dissolved CO2 close to 5.5 g L-1. The critical radius and the subsequent critical concentration of dissolved CO2 needed to trigger heterogeneous nucleation of CO2 bubbles from microcrevices once the beer was dispensed in a glass were derived. The subsequent total number of CO2 bubbles likely to form in a single glass of beer was theoretically approached as a function of the various key parameters under standard tasting conditions. The present results with the lager beer were compared with previous sets of data measured with a standard commercial Champagne wine (with 12.5% alcohol by volume and a concentration of dissolved CO2 close to 11 g L-1).

The article provides an analysis of accuracy indicators for measuring the alcohol by volume (ABV) in vodka performed by various methods according to GOST 32035–2013 «Vodka and Special Vodka. Acceptance Rules and Methods of Anlysis». The results of two rounds of the interlaboratory comparisons on determination of the ABV in vodka conducted to verify the qualifications of accredited testing laboratories are described.Information is provided on the development of the GSO 11142–2018 reference material for the volume fraction of ethanol in an aqueous solution (VER-2), certified for the volume fraction of ethanol in an aqueous solution, instances of which were used during the interlaboratory comparisons. The conclusion is made about the satisfactory quality of measurements of ABV in vodka in the accredited laboratories.

The development of antibiotic resistant pathogens has resulted from the use of subtherapeutic concentrations of antibiotics delivered in poultry feed. Single flavouring ingredients must be approved by the CFIA prior to their flavouring ingredients that are approved are listed in Schedule V , Part I or II , of flavour reference ( e.g. , Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavour Ingredients). All application(s) for renewal or amendment to a registered feed must be Net Volume: 20 L. 2-Decanon ist eine chemische Verbindung aus der Gruppe der CRC Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-4822-0868-9, S. 62 (eingeschrankte Negishi: Handbook of Organopalladium Chemistry for Organic Synthesis, 2 Volume Set. Hochspringen ↑ George A. Burdock: Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Sixth Edition:. 2 Department of Food Science and Technology , School of Agriculture , 4-Varamin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Varamin , Fenaroli ' s handbook of flavor. 2. 1School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. 2School of Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, vol 3. CRC Press, Boca Johanson G, Ernstgard L, Gullstrand E, Lof A, OstermanGolkar S. Williams CC. Analysis of water for NFT-402 FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY 3:1:2 Unit-I Nomenclature, Classification (Food Technology) Year 2nd , Semester III S. No. Vol. III.CRC Press. 3. Gerorge AB. 2004. Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients. Other names. 2-Octanol 2-Octyl alcohol 1-Methyl-1-heptanol. Capryl alcohol Jump up ^ Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Volume 1 Giovanni Fenaroli (Prof. Two white grape varieties (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc) and two red grape alcohol by volume (abv), while total phenolics were higher in smoke-affected C = control, S = smoke-affected, †: TA and VA measured as tartaric acid and Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, 4th ed., CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL. Author: Mostafa A.Abbassy1, Smir A.M.Abdelgaleil2, Rasha Y.A.Rabie1 The oil showed a remarkable toxic effect against S. littoralis in a topical Burdock GA (1995) Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients. Vol. I: Natural Flavors. Vol 4, Issue 07, 2015. 392. Abhishek et al. 2. *. ,1. Department of Pharmaceutics, KCT‟S R.G.Sapkal College of Pharmacy, Anjaneri, Nashik. 422 213 Furia, E. Fenaroli‟s Handbook of Flavour Ingredients, Bellanca, N., Ed., CRC Press:. Use of Claim 12, wherein said daily dose is administered in two doses of from 1.5 to 3 due to generally low dietary intake and omega-3 's health-promoting benefits. Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, The Chemical Rubber Company, Mostofsky SH: Basal ganglia volume and shape in children with attention.

This paper proposes the combination of headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) and chemometrics as a method to detect the age of Chinese liquor (Baijiu). Headspace conditions were optimized through single-factor optimization experiments. The optimal sample preparation involved diluting Baijiu with saturated brine to 15% alcohol by volume. The sample was equilibrated at 70 °C for 30 min, and then analyzed with 200 μL of headspace gas. A total of 39 Baijiu samples from different vintages (1998–2019) were collected directly from pottery jars and analyzed using HS-GC-IMS. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was used to establish two discriminant models based on the 212 signal peaks and the 93 identified compounds. Although both models were valid, the model based on the 93 identified compounds discriminated the ages of the samples more accurately according to the goodness of fit value (R2) and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), which were 0.9986 and 0.244, respectively. Nineteen compounds with variable importance for prediction (VIP) scores > 1, including 11 esters, 4 alcohols, and 4 aldehydes, played vital roles in the model established by the 93 identified compounds. Overall, we determined that HS-GC-IMS combined with PLSR could serve as a rapid and accurate method for detecting the age of Baijiu.

Funder: Department of Health and Social Care; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000276, Funder: National Institute for Health Research; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272, Funder: NHS; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100008241, Background and Aims: A previous research study concluded that wine and beer labelled as lower in strength increase consumption compared with the same drinks labelled as regular strength. The label included both a verbal and numerical descriptor of strength. The present study aimed to estimate the effect of each of these label components. Design: Adaptive, parallel group randomised controlled trial, comprising an internal pilot sample (n 1 = 90) and a confirmatory sample (n 2 = 57). Setting: University bar laboratory in London, United Kingdom (UK). Participants: A total of 147 weekly wine drinkers were sampled from a nationally representative English panel. Intervention: Participants were randomised to one of three groups to taste test wine in a bar‐laboratory, varying only in the label displayed: (i) verbal descriptor only (Super Low); (ii) numerical descriptor only (4% alcohol by volume (ABV)); and (iii) verbal descriptor and numerical descriptor combined (Super Low 4%ABV) (each group n = 49). Measurements: The primary outcome was total volume (ml) of wine consumed. Findings: Participants randomised to the numerical descriptor label group (4%ABV: M = 155.12 ml, B = 20.30; 95% CI = 3.92, 36.69; P value = 0.016) and combined verbal and numerical descriptor label group (Super Low 4%ABV: M = 154.59 ml, B = 20.68; 95% CI = 4.32, 37.04; P value = 0.014) drank significantly greater amounts than those randomised to the verbal descriptor label group (Super Low: M = 125.65 ml). Conclusions: This bar laboratory study estimated that a greater quantity of ‘lower’ strength wine was consumed when the label included a numerical strength descriptor compared with a verbal only strength descriptor.

AimsTo describe a case study in the British market of one of the global beer-producing companies that has set a target to increase the proportion of its products with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 3.5% or less, and to reduce the mean ABV of its beer products.MethodsDescriptive statistics and time-series analyses using Kantar Worldpanel’s British household purchase data for 2015–2018.ResultsAs assessed by British household purchase data, 15.7% of the company’s beer products had an ABV of 3.5% or less in 2018, compared with 8.8% in 2015. The mean ABV of its beer products dropped from 4.69 in 2015 to 4.55 in 2018. Associated with these changes, the increase in purchased grams of alcohol in all beer that occurred during 2015–2016 (standardized coefficient = 0.007), plateaued during 2017 (standardized coefficient = −0.006) and decreased during 2018 (standardized coefficient = −0.034). Similar findings applied to the purchased grams of alcohol in beer other than ABI beer, suggesting some switching from other beer products to ABI products; and in all alcohol, suggesting, on balance, no overall switching to higher strength products. Greater decreases in purchases were found in the younger age groups, the highest purchasing households in terms of grams of alcohol, class groups D and E, and Scotland; there was no clear pattern by household income.ConclusionsThe proportion of the company’s beer purchased in Great Britain that had an ABV of 3.5% or less increased since the launch of the target, and the mean ABV of its beer products decreased. The changes were associated with reduced purchases of grams of alcohol within its beer products. The associated reductions in purchases of alcohol in all beer and in all alcohol products suggest no evidence of overall switching to other higher strength beer or alcohol products. Other beer-producing companies should undertake similar initiatives. A regulatory tax environment should be introduced to ensure a level-playing field favouring lower alcohol concentration across all beer and other alcohol products.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse data from routine quality control samples of beer over a ten year period to provide comparisons with a previous study in 2006 and apply interpretations to the contemporary beer market.Design/methodology/approachData from laboratory analysis of 1,469 beers submitted for due diligence quality assurance from commercial microbreweries were analysed. Additional commercial samples were taken for analysis of sour beers and cask conditioned beers as examples of niche product areas.FindingsStyle characteristics were summarized as a reference for industry evaluation and as a basis for comparisons. Differences were noted between the characteristics found and those of a similar study in 2006. Average alcohol by volume increased by 1.2 per cent, bitterness levels increased by 6.1 per cent while colour decreased by 22 per cent. These differences suggest that standard UK beers are undergoing change. A study of sour beers indicated specific features in this recently popular style and confirmed the use of a different microbiology. Analysis of cask ales indicated some variability in quality suggesting the need for greater quality control.Research limitations/implicationsThe comparison with the previous study has limitations as the samples were not individually comparable but were from major established microbreweries and so representative of the industry. The work analysed UK beers only but will act as a base line for comparison to other markets. Moreover, the data may be relevant to other forms of market analysis seeking to identify factors associated to consumer preferences.Practical implicationsThe data presented have relevance to breweries looking to develop their portfolios and product descriptions, to the drinking public and to regulatory bodies in providing a benchmark for comparisons and for assisting in defining the recently promoted term “craft beer”.Social implicationsThe findings are relevant to beverage development and consumer education of alcoholic beverages by allowing discrimination between styles with different characteristics affecting consumer choice and when assessing styles for industrial, legislative and health research. Beers today appear to be more varied than in past decades but show lower colour and higher bitterness characteristics. As these features particularly relate to ingredients they may have implications in their contributions to diet and health.Originality/valueThe work has value in replicating the previous study to illustrate changes and trends. It presents novel data on recently popular sour beers and assesses traditional cask beer with implications for product quality.

Background: Kombucha is a nonalcoholic, fermented tea beverage that has recently received negative attention because of documented concentrations of ethanol in excess of allowable limits of ≥0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Objective: Our previously reported headspace GC with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) method was adopted by the AOAC Expert Review Panel as First Action Official MethodSM 2016.12 in September 2016 based on published single-laboratory validation study results. This paper describes the corresponding multilaboratory study using this method to further validate its performance parameters. Methods: Four laboratories participated in the study and received practice samples, test samples, reference standards, and detailed protocols. Eight kombucha samples sent out to laboratories were randomly assigned sample numbers and were blinded in terms of content and identity. Each laboratory analyzed all samples using the GC-FID method and reported their results. Results: Cochran’s C-test and single and double Grubbs’ tests were used to identify and remove outliers. Horwitz ratio values for all samples were between 0.5 and 1.7. As per the Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®), all samples within the analytical range of 0.1–2.0 ABV% had RSDR values

A consumer-based multivariate approach to the study of eight commercial beers (mass-produced, speciality and craft) was undertaken in New Zealand with ∼200 people. The beers spanned a wide range of sensory characteristics, from traditional lager and ale styles to high flavour impact beers with novel flavours (e.g. liquorice and rosemary) and less common styles (weisse and gose). These flavour differences were a larger driver of consumers’ hedonic/emotional/cognitive responses than alcohol content, which ranged from 0.5 to 7.2% alcohol by volume (ABV). The supplementation of hedonic and perceptual measures with emotional and cognitive variables resulted in a more detailed differentiation of products, which was further enhanced by consumer segmentation. In the rapidly evolving beer market, there is significant value in product-focused consumer research that delivers insights “beyond liking” and provide a deeper level of understanding about consumers’ product experiences. The research also contributed methodologically to the multivariate approach by considering pros and cons of study implementation aspects such as free-listing and ballot length. This will benefit future researchers in study planning and execution.

This study evaluated two alcoholic sources in the preparation, chemical characterization, and acceptability of homemade Kei apple liqueurs. Kei apple fruits were harvested from 4-year-old plants and immediately transported to the laboratory. The liqueur prepared with vodka + fruits without the epicarp was named L1;the liqueur prepared with sugarcanespirit+ fruits with the epicarp and sliced was named L2. The infusion or alcoholic maceration stage was then performed, mixing the fruits with the alcoholic liquid. After the preparation of the alcoholic extract, the chemical characterization of the final products was performedand after 60 days, the sensory analysis and acceptabilityof the product were conducted. The experimental design was entirely randomized, in a 2 × 2factorial scheme (two types of fruits ×.two types of alcohol), containing three samples of liqueurs per replicate and six replicates per experimental plot. The liqueurs suited the parameters fixed by the Brazilian legislation for the chemical evaluation of these products. As for sensory analysis, L1 had good acceptability from tasters, with apurchase intention by 71% of them. RESUMO: Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar duas fontes alcoólicas no preparo, caracterização química e aceitabilidade de licores artesanais de doviális. Frutos de doviálisforam colhidos de plantas de 4 anos e imediatamente transportados ao laboratório. Chamou-se de L1 o licor que fora preparado com vodca + frutos sem epicarpo e L2 o licor preparado com aguardente de cana-de-açúcar + frutos com epicarpo e fatiados. Na sequência realizou-se a etapa de infusão ou maceração alcoólica, misturando os frutos + líquido alcoólico. Após o preparo do extrato alcoólico, foi realizada a caracterização química dos produtos finais e, após 60 dias, a análise sensorial e aceitação do produto. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2 x 2 (2 tipos de frutos x 2 tipos de álcool), contendo três amostras de licores por repetição e seis repetições por parcela experimental. Os licores se enquadraram nos parâmetros previstos pela legislação brasileira na avaliação química dos produtos. Quanto a análise sensorial, houve boa aceitabilidade dos provadores do L1 e intenção de compra de 71% dos provadores.

This study compared the use of three sensory and analytical techniques: Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), Napping, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for the assessment of flavour in nine unmatured whisky spirits produced using different yeasts. Hierarchical Multiple Factor Analysis (HMFA) showed a similar pattern of sample discrimination (RV scores: 0.895–0.927) across the techniques: spirits were mostly separated by their Alcohol by Volume (ABV). Low ABV spirits tended to have heavier flavour characteristics (feinty, cereal, sour, oily, sulphury) than high ABV spirits, which were lighter in character (fruity, sweet, floral, solventy, soapy). QDA differentiated best between low ABV spirits and GC-MS between high ABV spirits, with Napping having the lowest resolution. QDA was time-consuming but provided quantitative flavour profiles of each spirit that could be readily compared. Napping, although quicker, gave an overview of the flavour differences of the spirits, while GC-MS provided semi-quantitative ratios of 96 flavour compounds for differentiating between spirits. Ester, arenes and certain alcohols were found in higher concentrations in high ABV spirits and other alcohols and aldehydes in low ABV spirits. The most comprehensive insights on spirit flavour differences produced by different yeast strains are obtained through the application of a combination of approaches.

En el present projecte es detallen els punts més importants per al desenvolupament d'una destil·leria de ginebra a Barcelona. Tècniques i mètodes com anàlisi CANVAS, pla de màrqueting, pla de producció i pla financer han estat elaborats. La localització de la destil·leria es trobaria a Cornellà de Llobregat en un local situat prop de la ronda de Dalt. En el present local, es realitzarien les tasques de maceració, destil·lació i embotellat. D'altra banda, gràcies a el programa HYSYS, una estimació de la producció ha pogut ser realitzada, obtenint un total de 227 ampolles de gin per cicle de producció. La categoria de la ginebra realitzada, seguint el REGLAMENT (CE) No 110/2008 DEL PARLAMENT EUROPEU I DEL CONSELL de 15 de gener de 2008, es troba en la categorització de genebra ja que la seva graduació alcohòlica aquesta en els 30% APV. El pla de màrqueting realitzat es pot observar com una falta de ginebres a Barcelona que ofereixin tour i tast a més d'oferir una ginebra amb temàtica pirinenca aquesta present en el mercat actual. Tècniques com les 5 forces de Porter, DAFO anàlisi o les 4 P han estat realitzades en aquest projecte, obtenint resultats favorables per a la creació de la destil·leria. La companyia estaria estructurada en 5 departaments diferents: direcció, producció / qualitat, màrqueting, legal / comptabilitat i vendes, tenint els departaments de producció, direcció i vendes com departaments interns i la resta portats per companyies externes, al menys els primers anys de la companyia. Un pla financer ha estat realitzat per observar la rendibilitat de l'empresa en els futurs 5 anys i es va observar que tot i que en el primer any s'obtenen perdudes, a causa d'una estimació de vendes a la baixa, els següents anys el benefici de la empresa creix considerablement a causa de factors com la reputació, el màrqueting i la temàtica de la beguda oferida. En el presente proyecto se detallan los puntos más importantes para el desarrollo de una destilería de ginebra en Barcelona. Técnicas y métodos como análisis CANVAS, plan de marketing, plan de producción y plan financiero han sido elaborados. La localización de la destilería se encontraría en Cornellá de Llobregat en un local ubicado cerca de la ronda de Dalt. En el presente local, se realizarían las tareas de maceración, destilación y embotellado. Por otro lado, gracias al programa HYSYS, una estimación de la producción ha podido ser realizada, obteniendo un total de 227 botellas de gin por ciclo de producción. La categoría de la ginebra realizada, siguiendo el REGLAMENTO (CE) No 110/2008 DEL PARLAMENTO EUROPEO Y DEL CONSEJO de 15 de enero de 2008, se encuentra en la categorización de genebra ya que su graduación alcohólica está en los 30 % APV. El plan de marketing realizado se puede observar como una falta de ginebras en Barcelona que ofrezcan tour y cata además de ofrecer una ginebra con temática pirenaica está presente en el mercado actual. Técnicas como las 5 fuerzas de Porter, DAFO análisis o las 4 P han sido realizadas en este proyecto, obteniendo resultados favorables para la creación de la destilería. La compañía estaría estructurada en 5 departamentos diferentes: dirección, producción/calidad, marketing, legal/contabilidad y ventas, teniendo los departamentos de producción, dirección y ventas como departamentos internos y el resto llevados por compañías externas, al menos los primeros años de la compañía. Un plan financiero ha sido realizado para observar la rentabilidad de la empresa en los futuros 5 años y se observó que a pesar que en el primer año se obtienen perdidas, debido a una estimación de ventas a la baja, los siguientes años el beneficio de la empresa crece considerablemente debido a factores como la reputación, el marketing y la temática de la bebida ofrecida. This project details the most important points for the development of a gin distillery in Barcelona. Techniques and methods such as CANVAS analysis, marketing plan, production plan and financial plan have been elaborated. The location of the distillery would be in Cornellá de Llobregat in a place located near the Ronda de Dalt. In the present local, the maceration, distillation and bottling tasks would be carried out. On the other hand, thanks to the HYSYS program, an estimate of production has been made, obtaining a total of 227 bottles of gin per production cycle. The category of gin made, following REGULATION (EC) No 110/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of January 15, 2008, is in the genebra categorization since its alcoholic graduation is at 30% APV. The marketing plan carried out can be seen as a lack of gins in Barcelona that offer tours and tastings in addition to offering a Pyrenean-themed gin that is present in the current market. Techniques such as Porter's 5 forces, SWOT analysis or the 4 P's have been carried out in this project, obtaining favorable results for the creation of the distillery. The company would be structured in 5 different departments: management, production/quality, marketing, legal/accounting and sales, having the production, management, and sales departments as internal departments and the rest run by external companies, at least the first years of the company. A financial plan has been made to observe the profitability of the company in the future 5 years and it was observed that although in the first year losses are obtained, due to a downward sales estimate, the following years the benefit of the company grows considerably due to factors such as reputation, marketing and the thematic of the beverage offered.

(1) Background: In the current highly competitive brewing industry, most breweries may benefit from a reduction in mashing time. In this study, a novel enzymatic assay format was used to investigate the activities of α-amylase and β-amylase during different mashing profiles, with the aim to use it as a tool for optimizing the production time of an existing industrial mashing process, (2) Methods: Lab-scale mashings with eight different time-temperature programs and two different pilot brews were analyzed in terms of enzymatic activity, sugar composition, alcohol by volume in the final beer, FAN and others, (3) Results: A 20-min reduction (out of an original 73-min mashing program) was achieved by selecting a temperature profile which maintained a higher enzymatic activity than the original, without affecting the wort sugar composition and fermentability, or the ethanol concentration and foam stability of the final beer. (4) Conclusions: A method is presented which can be used by breweries to optimize their mashing profiles based on monitoring α-amylase and β-amylase activities.

Introduction and aims Drinks consumed in real life are diverse, in terms of beverage type, container size and alcohol by volume. To date, most ecological momentary assessment studies have assessed drinking amounts with 'standard' drinks, although their event-level design allows for more advanced assessment schemes. The purpose of this empirical study is to compare participants' estimates of alcoholic drink characteristics, assessed using drink-specific questions, with estimates generated by annotators based on pictures of the same drinks. Design and methods On weekend nights, 186 young adults took 1484 close-up pictures of their drinks using a custom-built smartphone application. Participants reported the beverage type, drink size and alcohol by volume. Annotators described the beverage type, container size and filling level. Correspondence between participants' and annotators' estimates was explored using descriptive statistics, difference tests and correlations. Results Annotators were unable to precisely identify the beverage types in most pictures of liqueurs, spirits and mixed drinks. Participants' drink size estimates converged with annotators' estimates of the container size for beer (41 cl corresponding to 16 g of pure alcohol) and mixed drinks (28 cl/35 g), and of the content size for wine (10 cl/9 g). However, annotators estimated larger sizes for liqueur/fortified wine (12 cl/14 g vs. 7 cl/9 g) and spirits (8 cl/26 g vs. 4 cl/10 g) than participants. Discussion and conclusions Annotations of pictures should be considered as a complement to participants' reports rather than a substitute. Except for wine, real-life drinks vary largely and often exceed 10 g 'standard' drinks.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol by volume (ABV) and storage temperature on changes in the clarity of rye and plum distillates, and their content of volatile compounds. Distillates with initial ABVs of 93.26% v/v (rye distillate) and 82.03% v/v (plum distillate) were diluted with deionized water to 40, 50, and 70% v/v. The samples were stored in darkness at different temperatures (&minus, 18 &deg, C, 0 &deg, C, 8 &deg, C, 20 &deg, C) for 8 weeks. The results showed that reducing the alcohol content and storage temperature caused turbidity to increase. The samples prepared from rye distillate were characterized by significantly lower turbidity than those produced from plum distillate. The highest increase in turbidity in comparison to the controls was observed in the samples with 40% v/v alcohol content stored at a temperature of &minus, C. Storage of the rye and plum distillates samples at different temperatures resulted in changes to the concentrations of volatile compounds, i.e., lower levels of acetaldehyde and higher alcohols, and increased content of esters. However, the alcohol content and storage temperature had no statistically significant effect on methanol concentration.

Yeasts from the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale yeast) and Saccharomyces pastorianus (lager yeast) are the main component of beer fermentation. It is known that different beer categories depend on the use of specific ale or lager strains, where the yeast imprints its distinctive fermentative profile to the beer. Despite this, there are no studies reporting how diverse, rich, and homogeneous the beer categories are in terms of commercially available brewing yeast strains. In this work, the diversity, richness, and evenness of different beer categories and commercial yeast strains available for brewing were evaluated by applying quantitative concepts of diversity analysis in a sample of 119,189 beer recipes. For this purpose, the frequency of ale or lager and dry or liquid yeast formulations usage was accessed and its correlation with the number of yeast strains, recipes, lowest and highest values of original and final gravity, international bitter units, and alcohol by volume were analyzed. A statistical framework was applied for comparing the lowest and highest fermentation temperature as well as the attenuation percentage for ale and lager yeasts strains in both dry and liquid formulations. Additionally, the brewer's preferential use of a specific brewing yeast strain in comparison to all different yeast strains reported for a beer category was estimated. The results indicated that many beer categories are preferentially fermented with dry yeast formulations instead of liquid yeasts, despite the high number of available liquid yeast formulations. Finally, the preferential use of specific yeast formulations drives the fermentative diversity of a beer category, showing that many yeast strains are potentially and industrially underexplored.

A cerveja tem ganhado grande visibilidade e estima no Brasil, tornando-se ao longo do tempo um produto de maior qualidade. Diante dessa visibilidade, a cerveja foi alcançando mais variedades e os frutos regionais sendo a cada dia mais usados. A algarobeira é uma planta de grande popularidade no Nordeste brasileiro com alto potencial para produtos novos, porém pouco explorada, tornando uma praga devido à sua fácil germinação. Suas vagens alta habilidade fermentativa, o que as torna potenciais adjuntos cervejeiros. O objetivo deste trabalho é produzir cerveja utilizando algaroba como adjunto fermentável e compará-la com uma cerveja de trigo, analisando-as microbiologicamente, físico-quimicamente e sensorialmente. O método de produção utilizado foi o Brew in a Bag. Obteve-se, por fim, uma cerveja palatável, com teor alcoólico mais alto que o padrão (5,6%) e de carga microbiológica e resultados físico-químicos aceitáveis para a categoria do produto, além de 79% de aceitação do público analisado. Ou seja, uma boa cerveja com ótima capacidade de venda.

BACKGROUND Supersized alcopops are single-serving, ready-to-drink beverages with very high alcohol content. Research suggests that consumption of these products is especially dangerous. The current study was one of the first to examine individual-level characteristics associated with recent consumption of supersized alcopops. METHODS Adults on probation (n = 253; 70% male) in Baltimore City, MD, and Dallas, TX, who reported heavy drinking or any illicit drug use completed interviews. Psychosocial scales were drawn from the Criminal Justice Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment Intake. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine characteristics associated with past 30-day consumption of supersized alcopops. RESULTS Past 30-day consumption of supersized alcopops was significantly associated with higher scores for hostility and risk-taking, and lower scores on the self-esteem scale compared to nonconsumers. Recent consumption of supersized alcopops was also significantly associated with past 30-day homelessness and current gang affiliation. Among those who did not experience homelessness, 11% consumed supersized alcopops, compared to 30% of those who experienced homelessness. Further, 11% of those who were not gang-affiliated reported consuming a supersized alcopop within the past 30 days, compared to 57% of those who were gang-affiliated. DISCUSSION This study identifies disparate consumption of dangerous supersized alcopop products by vulnerable and at-risk groups. Better regulation of supersized alcopop marketing is needed to reduce alcohol consumption among high-risk groups, including people who are homeless and gang members, and display greater hostility and risk-taking traits. Previous research suggests that reducing the alcohol by volume and increasing the retail price of supersized alcopops would reduce some of the harms associated with consumption.

Purpose Alcohol concentration has traditionally been labeled in the form of alcohol by volume (ABV). This format can cause difficulty in evaluating accuracy of a pour because it doesn’t directly connect with recommendations related to “standard drinks,” the approach used by the US CDC and others organizations which intend to facilitate responsible drinking behaviors. Strategies which more directly connect guidelines related to healthy drinking behaviors to alcohol labeling are needed. Objective Assess how a label identifying the number of standard drinks per container impacts the ability of undergraduate students to accurately pour a standard drink. Design This study employed a 3 x 2 x 2 experimental design. Undergraduates were asked to pour a standard drink from mock products from three alcohol categories (beer, wine and liquor); products were presented in two types of label (traditional ABV vs. standard drinks/container) at two concentrations of alcohol content (high and low). Results We calculated standardized pour errors (pour errors in standard drink units). Analysis of these standardized pour errors suggested that 1) people tended to underpour beverages of low concentration across product categories and overpour those high in concentration. 2) When the standard drink label was present, pour accuracy was improved, when compared with pours from containers affixed with ABV labels in low alcohol concentrations across all product categories (beer, wine and liquor). 3) For treatments that comprised high concentrations of alcohol, the standard drink label significantly increased accuracy only for beer. However, it is worth noting that beer with an ABV label was the condition with the most dramatic overpours, and these problematic overpours were dramatically reduced by the addition of a standard drink label. Conclusions Our work empirically supports the notion that Undergraduate students are better able to accurately assess and pour a standard drink of alcohol from bottles incorporating a label which includes standard drinks/container vs. those with traditional ABV labeling. That said, the effect is quite different for each alcohol category: beer, wine, and liquor and depends on whether the product is high or low in concentration of alcohol for its category; as such, policy makers should consider alcohol categories and concentrations from a public health perspective when recommending changes to labeling.

When a sessile droplet of a complex mixture evaporates, its nonvolatile components may deposit into various patterns. One such phenomena, the coffee ring effect, has been a topic of interest for several decades. Here, we identify what we believe to be a fascinating phenomenon of droplet pattern deposition for another well-known beverage-what we have termed a "whiskey web". Nanoscale agglomerates were generated in diluted American whiskeys (20-25% alcohol by volume), which later stratified as microwebs on the liquid-air interface during evaporation. The web's strandlike features result from monolayer collapse, and the resulting pattern is a function of the intrinsic molecular constituents of the whiskey. Data suggest that, for our conditions (diluted 1.0 μL drops evaporated on cleaned glass substrates), whiskey webs were unique to diluted American whiskey; however, similar structures were generated with other whiskeys under different conditions. Further, each product forms their own distinct pattern, demonstrating that this phenomenon could be used for sample analysis and counterfeit identification.

Even though traditional raw materials used for beer production include only (barley) malt, hops, water and yeast, a whole range of un- malted adjuncts are also utilised (corn, oats, rice, rye) to get new speciality beer or merely to cut down the production expenses. Furthermore, particular consumers, health- related demands lead to the development of new types of beer, such as the gluten-free beer. Chestnut, as a raw material is gluten-free and is considered to be the best substitute for barley malt regarding its sensorial characteristics. The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the chestnut as an alternative raw material (i.e., adjunct) for beer production. Three small-scale (10 L) brews were performed as follows: 100% malt pale ale (control), the substitution of 50% of malt by medium roasted chestnut and the 100% chestnut pale ale. Standard beer analyses were performed in all samples: original extract, apparent extract, alcohol by volume, specific gravity, pH, colour, total polyphenol content, and bitterness. Alcohol levels ranging from 5.0 to 5.6 mL 100 mL- 1 were slightly higher in chestnut beer samples than in control. The colour was the most affected by substitution of malt by chestnut, being higher in chestnut beer samples. The results showed no significant change in the course of fermentation between the samples, provided that thorough hydrolysis of chestnut was performed. Thus, the application of chestnut as a raw material in the production of new types of beer, namely low gluten or gluten-free beers, should be taken into consideration.

The department of Huila is a producer of Castilla blackberry (Rubus glaucus Benth), a perishable fruit in post-harvest, making it necessary to develop processing alternatives in order to extend its shelf life and improve its market price. It was therefore proposed to elaborate a fermented blackberry drink using clarification, maturation, and aging processes. The physiochemical and microbiological parameters were characterized in the different phases. The inoculated yeast generated changes during the fermentation of the blackberry juice reducing the soluble solids to 6.9°Brix and viscosity to 1.5 cP. The alcohol content at the end of the process was of 14.4 alcohol by volume (ABV). Resumen El departamento del Huila es productor de mora de Castilla (Rubus glaucus Benth), un fruto muy perecedero en poscosecha por lo que se hace necesario desarrollar alternativas de procesamiento para prolongar su vida útil y alcanzar mejores precios en el mercado. Así, se propuso elaborar una bebida fermentada a partir de la mora, implementando los procesos de clarificación, maduración y añejamiento. En las diferentes etapas se caracterizaron los parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos. La levadura inoculada generó cambios durante la fermentación del zumo de mora disminuyendo los sólidos solubles a 6.9°Brix y la viscosidad a 1.5 cP, al final la bebida tuvo un contenido de 14.4 alcohol por volumen (ABV).

El actual etiquetado de bebidas alcohólicas pasa desapercibido por los consumidores. Además, la legislación europea exime a la industria de bebidas alcohólicas de incluir advertencias sanitarias en sus envases. Este estudio pretende explorar cómo el tamaño, el diseño y el contenido alcohólico de las bebidas influyen en la atención visual prestada al etiquetado de la graduación alcohólica; y cómo el tamaño y el contenido alcohólico influyen en la atención visual prestada hacia una advertencia sanitaria. Usando un diseño experimental, se monitorizaron los movimientos oculares de 64 participantes mientras visualizaban envases de cerveza con diferente graduación (0,4%, 4,6% vs. 15%). Se midió el número de fijaciones hacia el etiquetado de la graduación alcohólica, manipulando su tamaño y el diseño como factores inter-sujetos. En los envases presentados a la mitad de los participantes se incluyó una advertencia sanitaria, manipulando su tamaño como factor inter-sujeto. Los resultados muestran claras evidencias estadísticas de que el número de fijaciones es superior cuando la graduación alcohólica se muestra con un mayor tamaño y mediante un semáforo nutricional. Asimismo, los resultados relevan un mayor número de fijaciones hacia la advertencia sanitaria cuando esta tiene un tamaño mayor y obtiene diferentes niveles de atención visual dependiendo de la graduación alcohólica del envase. En conclusión, el estudio pone de manifiesto que el actual etiquetado de los envases de bebidas alcohólicas es insuficiente para captar la atención de los consumidores y sugiere que, si se persigue lograr un incremento de la atención prestada, el etiquetado debe mostrarse con un mayor tamaño y con un diseño gráfico., Current alcohol labelling goes unnoticed by consumers. In addition, EU legislation does not obligate the alcohol industry to include any health warning labels on alcohol packagings. This study aims to explore how the size and design of alcohol by volume (ABV) labels, along with the alcohol strength presented on these labels, influence visual attention toward them. We also examine how label size and alcohol strength influence visual attention toward a health warning label on alcoholic beverages. Using an experimental human laboratory design, we tracked the eye-movements of 64 participants while they viewed beers with different ABV (0.4%, 4.6% vs. 15%). We measured the number of fixations toward ABV labelling which varied in size and design (text-only vs. traffic light). A health warning label was also included on the beers for half of the participants and size was manipulated as a between-subject factor. Results showed strong evidence that the number of fixations was higher when the ABV labels were larger and used a traffic light system. Likewise, we found a higher number of fixations toward larger health warning labels and differences in visual attention depending on the ABV content presented. In conclusion, this study indicates that current alcohol labelling is insufficient to draw the attention of consumers and suggests that future alcohol labelling must be larger and with a graphic design to attract attention.

Specialty malts are commonly used in brewing to provide flavor, aroma, and color to wort and beer. The use of specialty malts contributes to the variety of beer products; therefore, it is important to understand their effect on the characteristics of wort and beer. This study investigates the impact of various specialty malts on wort and beer properties. A control beer was prepared with 100% base malt, and four beer treatments were prepared with the addition of kilned, roasted, and caramel specialty malts. For each treatment, 20% of the base malt was substituted with the various specialty malts when preparing the wort. The fermentable sugars and free amino nitrogen (FAN) content for each wort were analyzed. Alcohol by volume (ABV), international bitterness units (IBU), diacetyl, and polyphenol content of each prepared beers were subsequently analyzed. Results showed that wort prepared with the addition of roasted and caramel malts contained a lower concentration of fermentable sugars and FAN than wort prepared with the base and kilned malts. Beers prepared with the addition of roasted and caramel malts exhibited the lowest levels of ABV, as well as the lowest levels of diacetyl. These beers also exhibited higher levels of total phenolic compounds compared to the other beer samples. No change was observed in IBU levels as a result of brewing with the different specialty malts. This study illustrates how the use of specialty malts impacts wort and beer properties, providing useful information to aid in the production of quality beer products.

Este estudo, de natureza teórico-empírica, diz respeito à identificação e análise de atributos relevantes no processo de decisão e compra de vinhos para consumidores do Recife. O modelo teórico adotado foi desenvolvido com base na identificação dos atributos do vinho avaliados mais frequentemente em estudos do comportamento do consumidor em diversos países. Consequentemente, com base no trabalho de Goodman et al. (2007), o grau de relevância de cada atributo foi classificado por meio da escala Best-Worst Scaling (BWS). Destarte, a abordagem metodológica adotada foi a quantitativa, cujo método de coleta de dados foi o questionário, adaptado de Forbes (2008) e Groot (2011), administrado em meio a um amostra de 100 consumidores. Os resultados mostraram que, preço, marca, prêmios, teor alcóolico e rótulo frontal atraente foram considerados atributos importantes para os consumidores. No entanto, os atributos decisivos para a decisão e compra eram outros: variedade da uva, país de origem do vinho, harmonização com alimentos e as informações no rótulo traseiro.

Objectives: Correct identification of alcohol as a contributor to, or comorbidity of, many psychiatric diseases requires health professionals to be competent and confident to take an accurate alcohol history. Being able to estimate (or calculate) the alcohol content in commonly consumed drinks is a prerequisite for quantifying levels of alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to assess this ability in medical and nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 891 medical and nursing students across different years of training was conducted. Students were asked the alcohol content of 10 different alcoholic drinks by seeing a slide of the drink (with picture, volume and percentage of alcohol by volume) for 30 s. Results: Overall, the mean number of correctly estimated drinks (out of the 10 tested) was 2.4, increasing to just over 3 if a 10% margin of error was used. Wine and premium strength beers were underestimated by over 50% of students. Those who drank alcohol themselves, or who were further on in their clinical training, did better on the task, but overall the levels remained low. Conclusions: Knowledge of, or the ability to work out, the alcohol content of commonly consumed drinks is poor, and further research is needed to understand the reasons for this and the impact this may have on the likelihood to undertake screening or initiate treatment.

Kombucha is a fermented nonalcoholic beverage that has drawn government attention due to the possible presence of excess ethanol (≥0.5% alcohol by volume; ABV). A validated method that provides better precision and accuracy for measu ing ethanol levels in kombucha is urgently needed by the kombucha industry. The current study validated a method for determining ethanol content in commercial kombucha products. The ethanol content in kombucha was measured using headspace GC with flame ionization detection. An ethanol standard curve ranging from 0.05 to 5.09% ABV was used, with correlation coefficients greater than 99.9%. The method detection limit was 0.003% ABV and the LOQ was 0.01% ABV. The RSDr ranged from 1.62 to 2.21% and the Horwitz ratio ranged from 0.4 to 0.6. The average accuracy of the method was 98.2%. This methodwas validated following the guidelines for single-laboratory validation by AOAC INTERNATIONAL and meets the requirements set by AOAC SMPR 2016.001, “Standard Method Performance Requirements for Determination of Ethanol in Kombucha.”

Ethanol is the direct by-product of distillation. The vast majority of straight spirit beverages are bottled at 40%+ ABV (alcohol by volume). Aficionados, critics, spirits judges, and a significant percentage of drinkers choose to drink and evaluate spirits at bottled strength from traditional vessels. Olfactory perceptions are quickly compromised by abundant ethanol, numbing olfactory sensors and severely inhibiting aroma detection during evaluation. Traditional vessel redesigns have concentrated on minor styling changes, ignoring olfactory and physical sciences. Consumers’ continued search for value and quality and increased dependency on spirits competitions as a primary source of ratings emphasizes the need for a functional diagnostic vessel which displays and delivers aromas unobscured by ethanol olfactory numbing. The application of olfactory and physical science creates an engineered tasting vessel which eliminates severe ethanol olfactory numbing, optimizes aroma definition, and significantly improves diagnostics for those who evaluate, judge, rate, distill, and enjoy flavor nuances of spirits.

Lower strength alcohol products may help reduce alcohol consumption and associated harms. This study assessed the impact of labeling wine and beer with different verbal descriptors denoting lower strength, with and without percent alcohol by volume (%ABV), on product appeal and understanding of strength. Three thousand three hundred ninety adult survey-panel members were randomized to 1 of 18 groups with 1 of 3 levels of verbal descriptor (Low vs. Super Low vs. No verbal descriptor) and 6 levels of %ABV (5 levels varying for wine and beer, and no level given). Products with verbal descriptors denoting lower strength (Low and Super Low) had lower appeal than Regular strength products. Appeal decreased as %ABV decreased. Understanding of strength was generally high across the various drinks with majority of participants correctly identifying or erring on the side of caution when estimating the units and calories in a given drink, appropriateness for consumption by children, and drinking within the driving limit. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications of these findings for public health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Author(s): Martinez, Priscilla; Kerr, William C; Subbaraman, Meenakshi S; Roberts, Sarah CM | Abstract: BACKGROUND:Recent increases in alcohol-related morbidity and mortality have not occurred alongside notable increases in per capita alcohol consumption (PCC). This discrepancy may be partially due to U.S. PCC estimates not including annual estimates of the percentage of alcohol by volume (%ABV) of beer, wine, and spirits, but rather relying on time-invariant %ABV values. METHODS:Building on a prior study covering 1950 to 2002, estimates of the annual mean %ABV of beer, wine, and spirits sold in the United States were calculated using the %ABV of major brands and sales of each beverage type for each state and nationally for the period 2003 to 2016. We applied these estimates to the calculation of annual beverage-specific and total PCC, and made descriptive comparisons between our PCC estimates and those estimates using invariant %ABV values. RESULTS:For all beverage types, our mean %ABV estimates increased nationally and for all but 5 states. The PCC estimates from wine and spirits utilizing variable %ABV values were lower than estimates using invariant %ABV, and consumption from beer was higher. Our total PCC estimates were also lower than %ABV-invariant estimates; however, the percent change for %ABV-invariant estimates was 5.8% compared to a 7.9% change in our %ABV-variant estimates over the 2003 to 2016 period. CONCLUSIONS:Given the application of PCC estimates to understand changes in alcohol-related morbidity and mortality, the inclusion of annual estimates of the %ABV of alcoholic beverages sold in the United States is necessary to ensure the precision of PCC measures such that the conclusions drawn from these applications are accurate and valid.

As the problems of mood measurements during alcohol consumption of alcoholic beverages do not necessarily evoke interpretable physiological responses, explicit reports may be contaminated by various cognitive biases or expectations. The present study examined whether emotional responses induced by the consumption of beverages containing low concentrations of alcohol can be measured using the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The IAT can detect the estimates of internal proximity between bipolar target concepts (e.g., cheerfulness and fatigue). Participants (N = 30) received three IAT sessions, followed by drinking a beverage containing 0% (control), 1%, or 3% alcohol by volume, and three IATs (at 0, 30, and 60 min after the time of consumption). We also recorded the explicit responses regarding the extent of drunkenness. The analyses of variance with alcohol concentration and time reveal dissociation between implicit and explicit measures. The IAT scores under the alcohol conditions reflect a more cheerful mood state relative to the baseline test. This effect of enhanced cheerfulness was not observed under the non-alcohol control condition. These results demonstrate that the impact of the consumption of low-alcohol beverages on mood can be measured using the IAT.

Despite the explosion of craft beer brewing over the last decade, there is virtually no work in the public domain exploring machine learning approaches to understand and optimize the brewing process. Learning to map between representations of an object across different domains is one of the fundamental challenges in machine learning. There are at least three distinct representations of beer that one may wish to learn to map between: 1) the brewing recipe, 2) the chemical composition of the resulting beer and 3) the written reviews of the beer. The mapping between any pair of these three domains is highly non-linear. Brewing beer involves complicated biological and chemical processes, while the human qualitative perception of a beer may be even more complex. In the work described in this paper, we focus on the former: mapping between the recipe and chemical attribute domains. We use two deep learning architectures to model the non-linear relationship between beer in these two domains, classifying coarse- and fine-grained beer type and predicting ranges for original gravity, final gravity, alcohol by volume, international bitterness units and color. Such models could be used to optimize recipes to produce desired chemical properties of the beer, allowing brewers to design better tasting beer, faster and with less waste. Using a set of approximately 223K brewing recipes from homebrewing site http://brewtoad.com, we find that deep and recurrent neural network models significantly outperform several baselines in predicting these attributes, offering relative reductions in classification error by 20%+ and reducing the root mean squared error for the attribute ranges by 44% relative to the best baseline.

Forensic practitioners regularly use the Widmark equation to determine theoretical blood alcohol concentrations for use in cases involving alcohol. It is important with these calculations to determine the uncertainty associated with any result. Previous work has investigated the uncertainty in percent alcohol by volume (%ABV) from beers produced by small independent breweries in the UK but did not study the top selling beers in the UK. The top selling lagers and ales/bitters in the UK were identified by sales volume and the %ABV determined. These data was then used to determine the percent coefficient of variation (%CV) that should be used by forensic practitioners when constructing alcohol technical defence reports for use in forensic cases. These samples, from what may be described as ‘big’ brewers, were determined to have a smaller root mean square error (RMSE) (±0.1%v/v, n = 35), and %CV than those previously reported for beers produced by small, independent breweries in the UK. The results from this study shows that different RMSE's should be used for %ABV when determining the uncertainty of results from Widmark calculations depending if the drinks consumed have been from either ‘big’ brewers or small, independent breweries.

It is common for forensic practitioners to calculate an individual's likely blood alcohol concentration following the consumption of alcoholic beverage(s) for legal purposes, such as in driving under the influence (DUI) cases. It is important in these cases to be able to give the uncertainty of measurement on any calculated result, for this reason uncertainty data for the variables used for any calculation are required. In order to determine the uncertainty associated with the alcohol concentration of beer in the UK the alcohol concentration (%v/v) of 218 packaged beers (112 with an alcohol concentration of ≤5.5%v/v and 106 with an alcohol concentration of >5.5%v/v) were tested using an industry standard near infra-red (NIR) analyser. The range of labelled beer alcohol by volume (ABV's) tested was 3.4%v/v – 14%v/v. The beers were obtained from a range of outlets throughout the UK over a period of 12 months. The root mean square error (RMSE) was found to be ±0.43%v/v (beers with declared %ABV of ≤5.5%v/v) and ±0.53%v/v (beers with declared %ABV of >5.5%v/v) the RMSE for all beers was ±0.48%v/v. The standard deviation from the declared %ABV is larger than those previously utilised for uncertainty calculations and illustrates the importance of appropriate experimental data for use in the determination of uncertainty in forensic calculations.

About 70% of the beverage alcohol consumed in China annually is spirits. Recorded spirits make up most spirit consumption, but about 25% of total alcohol consumption (1.7 L pure alcohol per capita annually) is unrecorded spirits (bai jiu), either homemade or made in unregulated distilleries. In some parts of China, the consumption of unrecorded spirits is higher than average. This paper compares the patterns of use of unrecorded distilled spirits and recorded distilled spirits among rural residents in Central China. Interviews were conducted with 3298 individuals in 21 towns/villages in 10 counties in the Hubei, Anhui, and Hebei provinces in the People’s Republic of China. Unrecorded bai jiu drinkers chose it because of its taste and its low price. It was consumed mostly by older men, mostly at home with family, more regularly and at higher alcohol by volume (ABV) compared to recorded alcohol. Recorded bai jiu drinkers were more likely to drink away from their homes, consumed more bai jiu at memorable drinking occasions, and reported feeling sick after drinking more often than unrecorded bai jiu drinkers. This comparison of patterns of use of unrecorded bai jiu and recorded bai jiu does not suggest that unrecorded bai jiu is more problematic for drinkers.

Resumen: El consumo de alcohol constituye una preocupación por sus efectos en salud, y su repercusión en el medio laboral. El objetivo de este trabajo es estimar la prevalencia de consumo de alcohol en trabajadores del sector público y establecer su relación con variables sociodemográficas y laborales. Se realizó un estudio transversal con 1180 trabajadores desde enero a noviembre de 2011. Se calculó la prevalencia de consumo cuantificado en UBE según variables sociodemográficas y laborales (sexo, nivel educativo, tipo de trabajo y clase social). El 81,78% de la muestra es consumidora de alcohol, mayoritariamente hombres con niveles de consumo moderado-severo. Se relaciona el consumo con el bajo nivel educativo, clase social y tipo de trabajo manual. Los resultados nos indican la necesidad de llevar a cabo actuaciones preventivas en el medio laboral desde los servicios de prevención. Abstract: Alcohol consumption is a concern for its effects on health and repercussions on the work environment. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption among civil servants and to examine its association with sociodemographic and occupational variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1180 workers from January to November 2011. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was measured in ABV (alcohol by volume) units, and examined by sociodemographic and occupational variables (sex, education level, type of work and social class). Overall, 81.78% of the study population consumed alcohol; most were men, with moderate-severe consumption levels. Alcohol consumption was related to low education level, social class, and manual work. These results indicate the need for occupational health services to implement preventive actions at the workplace.

An ultrasound/vortex assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (USVADLLME) procedure coupled with gas chromatography–ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) is proposed for the rapid determination of seven phthalate esters in soft drinks and light alcoholic beverages (up to 6% alcohol by volume). Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factors of the seven phthalate esters ranged from 205-fold to 315-fold for soft drinks and from 172-fold to 285-fold for light alcoholic beverages. The recoveries varied between 94.2% and 99.6% for soft drinks and 95.6% and 99.4% for light alcoholic beverages. The limits of detection were between 0.03 and 0.10 pg μL−1 and the limits of quantification were between 0.11 and 0.28 pg μL−1. The intra-day and inter-day precision expressed as the relative standard deviation varied between 2.9% and 5.1% and between 5.5% and 7.6%, respectively. The proposed USVADLLME-GC-IT-MS method was demonstrated to be simple, reproducible and practical for the determination of trace amounts of seven phthalate esters in soft drinks and light alcoholic beverages.