Dad goes fishing for the weekend with his nine-year-old son. In the evening, Dad has a beer after dinner. Son is joining in with a 0.0 variant. Some parents see no harm in this. A bonding ritual between father and son, isn’t it fun? It contains (almost) no alcohol, so it can’t hurt… right? Other parents are horrified at the idea. What image do you pass on to your child? We didn’t abolish the chocolate cigarette for nothing, did we?
The subject of children and non-alcoholic beer was recently discussed on singer Kelly Clarkson’s American talk show. Actress Kristin Bell ( Frozen ), who mainly acted in children’s and teen films and series, said that her children regularly drink non-alcoholic beer. The habit originated when hubby Dax Shepard (also an actor) was being treated for alcohol addiction. He did drink non-alcoholic beer and the children were happy to take a sip from his can. Everyone can think his own of Bell: “You can judge me, but that’s your problem,” said the actress.
Children and real beer is an obvious no-go, alcohol is prohibited in our country for young people under the age of eighteen. But what about the non-alcoholic variants? Is Kristen Bell doing something wrong by allowing her kids to drink “fake beer”?
Ripe banana
“Alcohol-free beer is not dangerous,” explains toxicologist Jan Tytgat. However, according to the expert, not all non-alcoholic beer is composed in the same way. “The ingredients vary from country to country.” In the Netherlands, alcohol-free beer may contain only 0.1 percent alcohol. “In Belgium it is 0.5 percent. That is about one tenth of a classic pint,” it sounds.
Although in theory it contains alcohol, in practice it is not harmful to the smallest. “Children who drink fruit juice or eat a ripe banana also ingest a low dose of alcohol due to the natural fermentation of the fruit. Or think of the drink praline Mon chéri. You would have to eat 20 to 25 pralines in quick succession to be intoxicated,” says Tytgat. “Those who absolutely want to avoid alcohol should look for a drink with a label that clearly states that it contains 0.0 percent alcohol.”
Threshold lowering
So harmless, but from a pedagogical point of view, non-alcoholic drinks are strongly discouraged. “Studies show that children who are introduced to alcohol in one way or another at home are inclined to drink alcohol earlier and also to consume more of it,” says Tom Evenepoel of De Druglijn, the Belgian knowledge institute for addiction. “Non-alcoholic beer tastes the same as real beer. It has a bitter taste, while children actually prefer sweet and salty. You unconsciously let them get used to new, unusual flavors and you remove the threshold to try out alcoholic wines and drinks.”
Does that also apply to children’s bubbles, often drunk on special occasions? “It is different in terms of taste, but in itself you can also have reservations about it. That way we spoon it into the idea that parties and alcohol go hand in hand. It is always good to create a framework for children. Make it clear to them that not everything is possible at their age and that there is a place and time for everything in life. That may seem very unfair to your offspring, but as far as science is concerned, these recommendations are best adhered to.”
Cooking with alcohol
Just a reassuring fact for those who suddenly hesitate to add a splash of table beer or Trappist beer to the stew sauce: just do it. “Table beer contains between 1 and 3 percent alcohol and is considered a light beer. This is legally an alcoholic drink, but if you heat it while cooking, you will hardly absorb any alcohol. Those concentrations are negligible,” concludes Tytgat.
2023-08-10 18:00:00
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