Beer Test: Pesticide Residues Found in Affligem Blonde, Hoegaarden and Itinéraire des Saveurs

A chilled beer after work may seem innocuous. However, a recent investigation by the French magazine “60 Millions de consommateurs” into supermarket beers challenges that assumption. Testers detected pesticide residues in several well-known brands and criticised three beers so strongly that they explicitly advise against them.

What the major beer test examined

The editorial team at “60 Millions de consommateurs” assessed 45 widely available supermarket beers in France: 39 pale beers and six wheat or white beers. Laboratory specialists screened them for around 250 pesticide molecules commonly used in conventional farming.

The findings were mixed. Detectable residues appeared in 34 beers, while 11 contained no measurable traces at all. Only four different active substances were identified across the samples, yet they were present in a large number of brands.

“The tests show: beer is not automatically free from pesticides – even among familiar brands with a ‘traditional’ image.”

The investigation focused particularly on the controversial herbicide glyphosate and three fungicides: boscalid, folpet and phthalimide. Glyphosate has been a contentious issue for years, as experts continue to debate its health risks and environmental effects, although it remains authorised in the EU.

How contaminated were the beers tested?

Of the 45 beers analysed, 25 contained glyphosate residues, including two organic beers. Recorded levels ranged from roughly 0.41 to 9.23 micrograms per litre. A well-known abbey beer ranked highest, with just under 9.3 micrograms per litre-the greatest glyphosate reading in the entire study.

Health authorities set what are known as “acceptable daily intake” levels for pesticides. The magazine calculated how much beer someone would need to drink to exceed that threshold solely through the most contaminated beer: almost 2,000 litres a day in purely theoretical terms. Clearly, that bears no relation to real life.

In other words, according to the magazine, someone having an occasional beer need not fear acute poisoning. The criticism concerns something different: the quality of raw ingredients, oversight of supply chains and the gradual “cocktail” of pesticides that consumers already absorb through fruit, vegetables, cereal products and tap water.

The three beer brands performing particularly poorly

Three beers stood out negatively among all those tested. Consumer advocates specifically name these as the three brands they advise people to avoid:

• Affligem Blonde – an industrially produced abbey beer marketed heavily around tradition.
• Hoegaarden – a widely sold, mild white beer brand.
• Itinéraire des Saveurs – a low-cost supermarket own-brand pale beer.

These three beers recorded pesticide residues well above the average for the brands tested. Affligem Blonde produced the highest glyphosate result in the whole test. The labels also drew criticism: information was unclear or difficult to read, the origin of the cereals lacked transparency, and the value for money was considered only moderate given the “monastic” or “traditional” marketing.

“Consumer advocates are not calling for bans – but they clearly advise against drinking these three brands regularly.”

Legally speaking, every beer examined complied with the applicable maximum limits. Even so, the testers regard these three brands as negative examples: too many residues, too little openness and too much packaging romanticism.

Which beers stood out positively in the test

There were positive results too. Laboratory testing found no detectable pesticide residues in 11 of the beers reviewed. They included major industrial names commonly found in UK supermarket fridges.

In France, the cleaner candidates included:

• Heineken Lager
• Carlsberg
• 33 Export

These examples indicate that large-scale industrial production can achieve very low or non-detectable pesticide levels-at least within the specific range tested in France. The data cannot be transferred directly to the UK, but they point in a clear direction: cleaner supply chains and stricter quality controls are possible.

How to identify better beer options when shopping

When standing in front of the supermarket shelf, shoppers see labels, promises and prices-but not what has actually ended up in the brewing tank. The testers offer several practical pointers that can also be applied in the UK market.

Choose a short ingredient list over marketing romanticism

At its most basic, beer needs only a few ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. The longer and more elaborate the list, the more closely it is worth inspecting. Additives such as flavourings, colourings or artificial sweeteners may suggest that a brewer is adjusting the taste or polishing a particular image.

Regional sourcing and the origin of ingredients

Many small and medium-sized breweries now deliberately use locally sourced barley and hops. If a label provides traceable information about origin, there is greater reason to expect closer control during cultivation as well. It is not an absolute guarantee, but it is a useful sign.

Organic certification helps, but is no free pass

Cereals and hops from organic farming are regulated much more strictly. Organic beer generally reduces the use of synthetic pesticides. The study shows, however, that organic status does not always prevent traces from appearing-for example, because of spray drift from neighbouring fields or historic contamination in the soil.

A useful combination is therefore:

• reliable certification marks, including the EU organic logo and other recognised organic labels;
• clear statements about ingredient origins; and
• honest, restrained advertising language.

Why even low pesticide levels are a concern

The figures measured in the beer test sit far below zones of immediate danger. The real discussion is about long-term effects and the combined burden from all foods consumed.

Barley and other brewing-barley varieties are usually grown across large arable areas treated with herbicides and fungicides. Some residue inevitably remains on the grain. Anyone eating bread, muesli, pasta, beer and other cereal-based products consumes tiny quantities through each product. Any individual sample may be unproblematic, but the mixture accumulated over many years is more difficult to assess.

Glyphosate in particular remains disputed. Some studies identify indications of cancer risks and possible effects on the hormonal system, while other assessments consider the substance acceptable at usual exposure levels. Political policy continues to shift between extensions of approval and tighter restrictions.

Practical tips for more relaxed beer drinking

Anyone unsettled by these findings does not need to give up alcohol entirely. A few straightforward approaches can significantly reduce personal exposure:

• Switch brands: Rather than repeatedly buying the same industrial mass-market brand, rotate choices-ideally including producers that prioritise transparency and quality.
• Look for regional breweries: Many smaller producers place greater emphasis on ingredient origin and sourcing. A quick look at their website or a conversation with a specialist beer retailer can help.
• Try organic beers: Certified organic beers are increasingly available from specialist retailers and craft breweries.
• Drink less, but more consciously: Reducing alcohol consumption lowers both potential pesticide exposure and the established health risks associated with alcohol.

What consumers can take from the beer test

The French investigation focused on supermarket shelves there, but it sends a clear signal that matters to UK beer drinkers as well. Many brands present themselves as down-to-earth and traditional on the label, while behind them are often large corporations and ingredients from intensive arable farming.

Anyone who looks a little more closely at a favourite brand soon finds that origin, cultivation methods and production practices are already high on many customers’ wish lists. The more people consider these points when shopping, the greater the pressure on the industry to produce more cleanly and communicate more openly.

A cold pale beer on the balcony or a wheat beer during a football evening remains part of everyday enjoyment for many people. A few informed choices can make that ritual feel considerably more relaxed-even when a laboratory report contains some uncomfortable figures.