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Central Saanich brewers unleash power of science with line of ‘gluten-removed’ beer

Category 12 Brewing is also publishing per-batch independent reports on gluten content
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Category 12 Brewing in Central Saanich has launched a new line of gluten-removed beers and is backing up that claim with per-batch independent testing published on its website. (Courtesy Category 12 Brewing)

Central Saanich’s Category 12 Brewing has put its special blend of science and hops to the test once again, and the results from their latest experiment are several new beers which are “gluten-removed.”

Called Breakthru, the new brews hit shelves on Feb. 1 and are available in pilsner, India pale ale and pale ale varieties. Named for the “eureka moments that change the game,” the new beers combine fine-tuned traditional recipes with a special treatment which removes the gluten while preserving the taste people know and love.

The process aligns with the gluten testing method called the Codex Alimentarius, a classification system created by the United Nations and the World Health Organization through their joint Food and Agriculture Organization. That classification system sets 20 parts per million (p.p.m.) as the maximum gluten content allowed in a product advertised as gluten-free, according to a news release.

But Category 12 decided to go a step further, producing these new beers with only 10 p.p.m. gluten content. Knowing the importance of these certifications to their gluten-avoidant customers, the brewery is publishing independent lab reports for each batch of the new beers online, so customers can look up the exact gluten content of the beer they have in their fridge at home.

“Our Breakthru beers are breaking food myths that giving up gluten comes with compromising taste and quality,” said Michael Kuzyk, brewmaster and co-founder. “There is a fundamental basis of biology and chemistry with brewing that guides the fermentation process and enables the creation of consistently great-tasting beers. We take this classic method one step further by exposing each batch of beer to a gluten-destructing enzyme during fermentation. The result? All the taste of a true beer with the gluten removed.”

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