Characterization of the nutrient composition of German beer styles for the German nutrient database

Scientific data of nutrient variations in different beer styles are scarce. This study focuses on characterizing German beer styles in regard to their differences in nutrient composition and aims to improve available data for the calculation of nutritional value. 25 retail beer samples of five different German beer styles (Pilsner beer, wheat beer, crystal wheat beer, export beer, dark beer) were analyzed for their nutrient content. Overall this survey revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in the proximate composition (ash, protein, ethanol, glucose), vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B₆) and elements (copper, manganese) for the chosen beer styles. The benefit of these new data is exemplified by the calculation of the nutritional supply for average beer consumption and compared with previous data. For the average beer consumer, this study gives higher values for the percentage of daily nutrient recommendation of niacin, vitamin B₆ and folate, whereas lower values are given for alcohol and elements like copper and iodine. Our findings demonstrate that these new data provide an improved basis for nutritional value calculation in future consumption studies.