Malomo, Olu
Malomo, Olu
Malomo, Olu
Review Article
The Nigeria Beer Story
Malomo, Olu*
ABSTRACT
Introduction
beer a year. Each barrel is the equivalent of
The family of beverages generally referred
117 liters or approximately 31 gallons.
to as "beer" has been brewed for centuries.
Beers are obtained by the yeast fermentation
The true origin of beer can only be
of malted cereal grains, to which hops and
conjectured. Early attempts at brewing
water have been added. Brewing has
occurred around 7000 B.C. in Mesopotamia.
evolved from a cottage craft into a modern
The Egyptians and Greeks also brewed
industry where large breweries export their
alcoholic beverages by various methods, but
beers worldwide. On a per capita basis,
the term "beer" did not appear in these early
Germans consume the most beer at about 40
languages. The Babylonians offered brewing
gallons (151 liters) per person per year. Beer
recipes, and there are various references to
drinkers in the U.S. rank fourteenth in the
beer in the Bible. The English word "beer"
world, with American breweries producing
seems to stem from the Celtic word "beor,"
approximately 156,900 million barrels of
which referred to a malt brew made by
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monks at a North Gaul monastery. In the No yeast was mentioned in the original text.
middle ages, monasteries were the leading It was not until the 19th century, Louis
producers of beer, and monks are credited Pasteur discovered the role of
with many early brewing techniques, such as microorganisms in fermentation; therefore,
the addition of hops to improve the aroma yeast was not known to be an ingredient of
and help preserve the beer. The distinction beer. Brewers generally took some sediment
between ales, lagers, and darker bock beers from the previous fermentation and added it
began to appear in French and Irish writings to the next, the sediment generally
in the 13th century. It is generally accepted containing the necessary organisms to
that the modern beers as we know them perform fermentation. If none were
today date to the 1600s. available, they would set up several vats,
relying on natural airborne yeast to inoculate
History has it that the Reinheitsgebot the brew.
(literally ―purity order‖ sometimes called the
―German Beer Purity Law‖ or the ―Bavarian Hops are added to beer to impart flavors but
Purity Law‖ in English, is a regulation also act as a preservative, and their mention
concerning the production of beer in the in Reinheitsgebot was meant to prevent
Holy Roman Empire and its successor state, alternative methods of preserving beer that
Germany. In the original text, the only had been used before the introduction of
ingredients that could be used in the hops. Medieval brewers had used many
production of beer were barley and hops. problematic ingredients to preserve beers,
including soot and fly agaric mushrooms.
The law originated on 30 November 1487, More commonly other ‗gruit‘ herbs had
when Albert IV, duke of Bavaria been used, such as stinging nettle and
promulgated it, specifying three ingredients- henbane. The German name of the latter,
water, malt and hops- for the brewing of Bilsenkraut, may originally mean ―Plzen
beer. Later in the city of Ingolstadt in the herb‖, including that this region was a major
duchy of Bavaria on 23 April 1516, two center of beer brewing long before the
other dukes endorsed the law as one to be intervention of (Reinheitsgebot-complaint)
followed in their duchies, adding standards Pilsener.
for sale of beer.
The penalty for making impure beer was
The ealiest documented mention of beer by also set in the Reinheitsgebot: a brewer
a German nobleman is the granting of a using other ingredients for his beer could
brewing license by Emperor Otto II to the have questionable barrels confiscated with
church at Liege (now Belgium) awarded in no compensation.
974 AD. In the original text, the only
ingredients that could be used in the German breweries are very proud of the
production of beer were water, barley and Reinheitsgebot, and many claim still to
hops. The law also set the price of beer aat1- abide by it. Some breweries in areas with a
2Pfenning per MaB. The Reinheitsgebot is historical connection to Germany, such as
no longer part of German Law: it was Namibia Breweries Limited, also claim to be
replaced by the Provisional German Law in compliant to the Reinheitsgebot.
1993, which allows constituent components
prohibited in Reinheitsgebot, such as yeast, The Reinheitsgebot was introduced in part to
wheat malt and cane sugar, but which no prevent price competition with bakers for
longer allows unmalted barley.
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wheat and rye. The restriction of grains to only concerns imported beer. Beer brewed
barley was meant to ensure the availability in Germany still must follow the law.
of affordable bread, as the more valuable
wheat and rye were reserved for use by After German reunification in 1990 the
bakers. Today many Bavarian beers are Neuzeller Kloster Brewery, a former
again brewed using wheat and are thus no monastery brewery in the East German town
longer compliant with the Reinheitsgebot. of Neuzelle, Brandenburg, was warned to
stop selling its black beer as it contained
The Reinheitsgebot formed the basis of sugar. After some negotiations the brewery
legislation that spread slowly throughout was allowed to sell it under the name
Bavaria and Germany. Bavaria insisted on Schwarzer Abt ("Black Abbot") but could
its application throughout Germany as a not label it "bier". This decision was
precondition of German unification in 1871, repealed by the Federal Administrative
to prevent competition from beers brewed Court of Germany through a special permit,
elsewhere with a wider range of ingredients. and after legal disputes lasting ten years
The move encountered strong resistance (known as the "Brandenburg Beer War")
from brewers outside Bavaria. By restricting Neuzeller Kloster Brewery gained the right
the allowable ingredients, it led to the to call "Schwarzer Abt" "bier" again.
extinction of many brewing traditions and
local beer specialties, such as North German The revised Vorläufiges Biergesetz of 1993
spiced beer and cherry beer, and led to the is a slightly expanded version of the
domination of the German beer market by Reinheitsgebot, stipulating that only, water,
pilsener style beers. Only a few regional malted barley, hops and yeast be used for
beer varieties, such as Kölner Kölsch or any bottom-fermented beer. Top fermented
Düsseldorfer Altbier, survived its beer is subject to the same rule with the
implementation. addition that a wider variety of malt can be
used as well as technically pure sucrose and
Regulations similar to the Reinheitsgebot beet sugars.[5] All ingredients and the
were incorporated into various guild process itself are subject to additional
regulations and local laws all over Germany, regulations.
and in 1952, they were incorporated into the
West German Biersteuergesetz (Beer Thus, German breweries continue to comply
Taxation Law). Many brewers objected to with the Biergesetz, and often claim
the law at the time, disagreeing more with compliance with the Reinheitsgebot even
the amount of the tax than the ingredient when it is patently incorrect (for example,
requirements. The law initially applied only for Wheat beer which were prohibited by the
to bottom-fermented ("lager") beers, but Reinheitsgebot). Thus the Reinheitsgebot
brewers of other types of beer soon accepted has become a valuable marketing tool.
the law as well.
Until superseded by a change in EU law, the
In May 1988, a European Court of Justice Reinheitsgebot was also enforced in Greece
ruling led to the Reinheitsgebot being lifted, from the early 19th century due to a law by
allowing ingredients beyond what was listed the first Greek king, Otto (originally a
in the Biersteuergesetz; this meant that Bavarian prince) that had remained in effect
anything allowed in other foods was also for over a hundred years. The law drew
allowed in beer. The lifting of the Biergesetz criticism from foreign brewers as a form of
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grain is roasted to stop the germination supported by their huge advertising budgets,
process. The exact point at which the this tradition of hundreds of local brands
roasting starts and ends affects the flavor continues. In recent years it has even been
and color of the beer. The product at this augmented by the proliferation of so-called
point is referred to as malt. "microbreweries" which often display the
brewing equipment as part of the decor of a
While amateur brewers swap recipes at will, drinking establishment and distribute their
the commercial recipes for beer are held products primarily on-site.
tightly as any state secret. Until recent
decades, the production of beer, like wine, Preparing the mash
was a wonderful combination of art, science,
and luck. At the heart of the process has The malt is crushed using iron rollers and
been the brewmaster, a traditional transferred to the mash tank (or "tun"). This
handcraftsman wrapped in the lab coat of a tank is a large copper or stainless steel
scientist and carrying the clipboard of a vessel that mixes the malt with warm water
production engineer. In the 20th century, until it is of porridge-like consistency. This
corporate breweries have evolved into an mixture is called mash. After mixing with
intriguing combination of flow production in similarly prepared cereal grains, the
the brewing process and automated canning, temperature of the mash is raised
bottling, and warehousing. incrementally from 100-170°F (38-77°C) so
that the enzymes react. The enzymes break
In the 19th century, the brewing industry down the starch in the grain and convert it to
flourished as numerous brewmasters drew simple sugars. Later, the yeast will convert
on their European heritages and functioned the sugars into alcohol. Once complete, the
as chemists, biologists, engineers, inventors, mash is allowed to sit undisturbed so the
and salesmen. The combination of local solids can descend to the bottom of the tank.
ingredients, water quality, and the
brewmaster's traditions and skill meant that Beer requires these ingredients for proper
many regions, even locales, could have their brewing: prepared cereal grain (usually
own brands. Before mechanical barley and corn or rice), hops, pure water,
refrigeration, pasteurization, and rapid and brewer's yeast. Each ingredient can
transportation facilities, national distribution affect flavor, color, carbonation, alcohol
was, of course, impossible. One result of this content, and other subtle changes in the
was that the United States has always beer.
enjoyed a wide variety of regional beers. In
1867 there were breweries in every state and Brewing the wort
territory, an astonishing total of 3,700; in
1934 there were still over 800 in operation; The liquid contained in the mash is
in 1994 there wore about 500. After transferred into another tank called a lauter
Prohibition and with the development of tun. This is accomplished by drawing the
steel cans for beer in 1935, breweries shifted liquid out through the bottom layer of mash
their focus away from primary interest in solids, which acts as a filter. Hot water is
bars and toward home consumption. added to the top of the mash tank to rinse the
remaining liquid, now called wort, from the
Despite the seeming pervasiveness of mash. The solid remains of the grain are
national brands from the mega-breweries dried and sold by the brewery as animal
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feed. The wort travels on to the brew kettles, carbon dioxide. Fermentation tanks come in
where it is boiled to sterilize it, and where all sorts of forms, from enormous tanks
the carefully prepared hops are added. The which can look like storage silos, to
addition of the hops is important because 22.5liters glass carboys in a homebrewer's
they contribute to the bitterness of the beer. closet.
The brew kettles are the most impressive
equipment in the process. Gleaming copper, Most breweries today use cylindroconical
they can be 7-12 feet (2-3.6 m) in diameter tanks, or CCTs, have a conical bottom and a
and two stories high. Steam usually provides cylindrical top. The cone's aperture is
the heating energy to the brew kettles. After typically 60°, an angle that will allow the
brewing is complete, the finished wort is yeast to flow toward the cones apex, but is
filtered again and pumped to the not so steep as to take up too much vertical
fermentation tanks. space. CCTs can handle both fermenting and
conditioning in the same tank. At the end of
Fermenting fermentation, the yeast and other solids
which have fallen to the cones apex can be
In the fermentation tanks, the atmosphere simply flushed out a port at the apex.
must be carefully controlled to prevent any
"rouge" bacteria from interfering with the Open fermentation vessels are also used,
yeast. Carefully maintained yeast often for show in brewpubs, and in Europe
(approximately 2kg per hectoliters of wort) in wheat beer fermentation. These vessels
is added to the wort, and the temperature of have no tops, which makes harvesting top
the mixture is slowly reduced over a period fermenting yeasts easy but the open tops of
of days to between 50°F and 60°F (10- the vessels make the risk of infection a lot
15°C). In this temperature range, the yeast greater.
grows, consuming the sugar in the wort, and
bubbles of carbon dioxide form. The wort Fermentation tanks are typically made of
has now become beer. The new beer refered stainless steel. If they are simple cylindrical
to as green beer is filtered and transferred tanks with beveled ends, they are arranged
once more into the aging casks or tanks, vertically, as opposed to conditioning tanks
where the temperature is controlled at 32°F which are usually laid out horizontally.
(°C) for 2-24 weeks. The shorter storage
time produces a pale lager beer while the A very few breweries still use wooden vats
European lagers (called Pilsner) are aged for fermentation as wood is difficult to keep
longer to increase the alcohol content, where clean and infection-free and must be
the residual sugar is further metabolized to repitched more or less yearly.
produce alcohol.
After high kraeusen a bung device (German:
Modern fermenting tanks Spundapparat) is often put on the tanks to
allow the CO2 produced by the yeast to
Fermentation, as a step in the brewing naturally carbonate the beer. This bung
process, starts as soon as yeast is added to device can be set to a given pressure to
the cooled wort. This is also the point at match the type of beer being produced. The
which the product is first called beer. It is more pressure the bung holds back, the more
during this stage that sugars won from the carbonated the beer becomes.
malt are metabolized into alcohol and
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Conditioning Filtering
When the sugars in the fermenting beer have A mixture of diatomaceous earth and yeast
been almost completely digested, the after filtering.
fermentation slows down and the yeast starts
to settle to the bottom of the tank. At this Filtering the beer stabilizes the flavor, and
stage, the beer is cooled to around freezing, gives beer its polished shine and brilliance.
which encourages settling of the yeast, and Not all beer is filtered.
causes proteins to coagulate and settle out
with the yeast. Filters come in many types. Many use pre-
made filtration media such as sheets or
Unpleasant flavors such as phenolic candles, while others use a fine powder
compounds become insoluble in the cold made of, for example, diatomaceous earth,
beer, and the beer's flavor becomes also called kieselguhr, which is introduced
smoother. During this time pressure is into the beer and recirculated past screens to
maintained on the tanks to prevent the beer form a filtration bed.
from going flat.
Filters range from rough filters that remove
If the fermentation tanks have cooling much of the yeast and any solids (e.g. hops,
jackets on them, as opposed to the whole grain particles) left in the beer, to filters
fermentation cellar being cooled, tight enough to strain color and body from
conditioning can take place in the same tank the beer. Normally used filtration ratings are
as fermentation. Otherwise separate tanks divided into rough, fine and sterile. Rough
(in a separate cellar) must be employed. filtration leaves some cloudiness in the beer,
but it is noticeably clearer than unfiltered
Secondary fermentation beer. Fine filtration gives a glass of beer that
you could read a newspaper through, with
Secondary fermentation is an additional no noticeable cloudiness. Finally, as its
fermentation after the first or primary name implies, sterile filtration is fine enough
fermentation. Some beers may have three that almost all microorganisms in the beer
fermentations. are removed during the filtration process.
Sheets are sold in nominal ratings, and Most beer is available in the following
typically 90% of particles larger than the package sizes: "pony" cans and bottles of
nominal rating are caught by the sheet. about 8 fluid ounces, standard 12-ounce
cans and bottles, 16- and 32-ounce jumbo
Kieselguhr filters cans, 40-ounce "picnic" bottles, 8-gallon
"pony" kegs, and the standard 16-gallon
Filters that use a powder medium are beer keg. Other novelty and party packages
considerably more complicated to operate, are also available. Cans and bottles are
but can filter much more beer before packed in 6, 8, 12, or 24 each to a box or
needing to be regenerated. Common media case. Most states require a deposit at point
include diatomaceous earth, or kieselguhr, of sale to encourage the return of the bottles
and perlite. and cans.
In the recent years, these companies have The brewery industry has been faced by
being totally overtaken by multi national three different economic situations. Within
who have increased their investment in the period 1980 -1981. These could be
physical plants, information technology and regarded as ―Utopian‖ period. This was a
staff training with a view to improving their period of favourable market; buoyant
operational performance. economy, characterized by high exchange
rate of the currency, high purchasing power
In the mid to late eighties the then Nigerian of consumer income, high demand easy
Military Government embarked on a string accessibility of foreign exchange,
of economic reforms to jump start the availability of loans, the funds to finance
economy, some of which included capital project coupled with low interest
restriction on the importation of barley, so rate.
the sought, for local grains, and the sorghum
being the most suitable in terms of the With the arrival of 1982, the bubble busted,
similarity in an anatomical physiological Nigeria started experiencing uncertainty in
structure and also economically viable was supply and unfavourable market terrain in
the choice grain. the industry. These manifested itself in;
difficult access to foreign exchange, absence
Prior to this time, in the brewing industry, of easily usable local alternatives to
all the ingredients were imported, the only imported materials.
ingredient sorted locally was water! The
structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) Between 1986 – 1997 was the peak of the
thus became the birth place of the sorghum unfavorable market for the alcoholic
supply chain in Nigeria. beverage industry. The industry during this
The sorghum supply chain in Nigeria is period experienced, high cost of production
currently put at about US#200 (Two occasioned by low exchange rate of the
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currency, rise in general of all commodities It is worthy of note that, despite all these,
which affected all inputs into the operations, the Nigerian brewery industry is a major
including locally sourced materials, high player in the Nigerian economy with annual
prices of products, low purchasing power of sales exceeding =N=200billion. However, to
disposable income, high unemployment, date, competition in the Nigerian beer
accumulation and payment of debts owed market is getting fiercer as environmental
contractors among others factors. and economic conditions affect the
disposable income of the consumer.
The state of the brewery industry in
Nigeria Growth in this industry in recent times has
been achieved through innovation, market
In 1983, there were thirty-six breweries with share increase and exploration of new
a combined production level of 19.5 million frontiers through exports. With so few
hectoliters of installed capacity. As at 2010, option for growth, companies that operates
the number of financing breweries slided in the industry are under considerable
down to barely 12, with a combined pressure to deliver to their shareholders.
hectoliters of production of less than 6.0 Consequently, they must streamline their
million hectoliters.It might interest you to processes in order to drive real profitable
know that, Nigeria still falls below the level growth, while ensuring that they effectively
of 2 liters per capita consumption with meet demands of both customers and
South Africa ranking the highest with 61. consumers.
This decline started with the period of
Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) The Nigerian Breweries Plc and Guinness
when the industry was forced to backward Nigeria Plc, the first and second largest
integrate. This was desirable; however, the players (by volume) in the brewery industry
industry was ill prepared for the policy. in Nigeria have experience significant
growth in recent years in spite of the harsh
One of the emerging factors in the operating terrain. This is attributable to the strategies
environment is the removal of beer from the they adopted in addressing the challenges
prohibition list: This is difficult to classify; posed by the environment. Their strategies
opportunity or threat? This depends on are to continue to leverage on their existing
which side of the divide you are. The competitive advantages they enjoy with their
government will have to weigh the various brands, for example ―star‖ and
implications this policy will have on the ―Gulder‖ from Nigerian breweries Plc and
brewing industry. Guinness ―stout‖ from Guinness Nigeria Plc,
however, in the recent times with advent of
Other policies are: abolition of excise duty, other stout beers like ―legend extra stout‖
the increasing wave of religious fervor and brewed by Nigeria Breweries Plc which is a
diversification efforts of breweries into the main rival to Guinness Foreign Extra, has
non-alcoholic beverage business, which is contributed to the downward trend of the
healthy for the economy. fortune of Guinness Nigeria Plc from gains
Also is the policy of liberation of foreign from its stout beer. Nevertheless these two
investment and expansion of informal beer brewing giants have a virtual
sector, which led to the proliferation of fake dominance of the market, promoting growth
and adulterated products. in other brands, while diversifying their
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product base to cut across all classes, tastes largest beer market in Africa, after South
and geographic regions. Africa. And with the largest population in
Africa, a growing middle class and a large
This is manifested in their efforts at; number of drinking-age consumers , the
brewing multinationals are jockeying for
• Maintaining cost leadership positions in a market that shows plenty of
• Enhancing price stabillisation room for expansion.
• Driving for excellence in product quality
and The beer market in Nigeria grew in value by
• Striving to attain exceptional operational 21.8% in 2009, making it worth USD2.7
efficiencies billion. As a result of the per caput intake of
of just 10liters of Nigerians, the market has
The future of the beer market is however plenty of room for expansion. Analyst had
more complex. This is as a result of; projected an average annual growth of
23.45% between 2011 and 2014. Alcoholic
• The increasing complexities associated beverage consumption is a social activity in
with distribution systems Nigeria, of which 80% of the country sales
• Demographic and changing lifestyles and are on trade. Beer is the most popular
increasingly health conscious population alcoholic drink in the country, making up
• Fierce competition in the market about 96% of all alcohol sales, this is apart
• The increasing powers of the distributors from the local alcohol brewers like ―buruku‖
and retailers, who can choose to sell only ―pito‖, wine and spirit drinks, which are also
products that gives them maximum significant in volume
profit.
The three big operators in Nigeria‘s beer
Nigeria’s beer industry:clash of the titans sector, which among the biggest global
operators in the sector are on their wits end
Industry reports indicate that the beer to ensure that they maintain, if not improve
industry recorded a marked decline in on, their market share. Nigerian Breweries
growth as in the third quarter of 2013, as Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and SAB Miller
pressure on household incomes and are making sure that they supply enough of
heightened security concerns affected their various brands.
consumption patterns.
The revolution taking place in the Nigerian Beer is a very thriving business in Nigeria,
beer market is however hitting real hard on and it is growing all the time. It is said to
premium brands and if the trends continues, have been expanding at 10 percent per
the brands may have to shrink in size and annum for quite a while. The average per
stature, forcing everybody to play at the low capita beer consumption which is still 2liters
end. To prevent this slide, the brands have but sixth of the rate compared to South
embarked on series of innovative marketing Africa, meaning that the potential for growth
activities. remains huge, especially given that Nigeria
has a population of 170million people. The
Even as the global consumption of beer has brand conscious middle class is swelling and
slowed down due to the downturn in it is this demography that the three big
economy, Nigeria consumption pattern has global operators are targeting with
followed sooth. Nigeria has the second aspirational drinks such as Heineken,
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Hero lager and the continued growth of and waste management in the beverage
Trophy lager brand, from the stable of industry. While others believed that review
International Breweries plc. SAB miller key of pricing policy, review of marketing
‗local‘ brands include 2M, Chibuku, policy and high consideration for product
Chibuku Super, Club Premium lager, Club development should be the focus for the way
pilsner, Eagle, Hero, Impala, Kilmajaro, forward. However, one wonders how beer
Laurentina, Lion lager, Maluti, Manica, consumers will continue to meet their tastes
Mosi, Nile Special, Rwenzori, Safari, in arreas where sale and consumption of
Sibebe, St. Louis, Voltic, White Bull, and alcohol are prohibited?
Trophy.
In conclusion, the crucial success factors in
Guinness is certainly not playing a second the beverage industry especially the brewery
fiddle. It is equally working very hard to sector so far is the enhancement of the task
keep the premier brands ahead of environment which is associated with top
competition. The company explains that its management values and organizational
global priority brands are its primary growth analysis, to conquer the operating
drivers across its markets and are the main environment. These could be the limits of
focus for its business. The brands its states, the opportunities and threats in the beverage
have broad consumer appeal across industry.
geographies, and although each of them has
a rich heritage, they all continue to innovate Beyond any factor that threatens growth in
and expand to meet new and emerging the beer industry, it is apparent that the beer
consumer trends. It states: ―We manage and market in Nigeria is a vibrant on that offers
invest in these brands on a global basis , so value and much excitement to consumers.
you will see consistent marketing from
country to country. The company‘s eight The future
global priority brands include ; Smirnoff,
Johnie Walker, Guiness, Baileys, J&B, ‗the Recently, concern among citizens' groups
number three Scotch Whisky in the world over the excessive consumption of alcoholic
(5.2million liter cases)‖: Captain Morgan beverages by some individuals has initiated
and Tanqueray. Guiness Nigeria Plc which additional government regulation of beer.
belongs to the Diageo family supplies the New warnings have been added to labels,
following other products in Nigeria; Foreign warning of impaired driving, hazards to
Extra Stout, Harp lager, Satzenbrau Pilsner pregnant women, and other health ailments
lager, Gordon‘s Spark, Malta Guinness, associated with alcohol consumption in the
Guinness Extra Smooth and Armstrong developed world. Reduced tolerance for
lager. drunk driving, for example, encouraged
many brewing companies to advocate
Ways forward responsible consumption. The beer industry
will continue to contend with these large
The main challenge is how to pump up
social issues.
volume and margin without increasing price.
However, on the positive side, inclusion of
Some schools of thoughts have postulated
gluten free cereals like sorghum, maize, or
that out sourcing, leasing, elimination of
rice in the brewing of beer as is practiced in
agents and intermediaries, retrenchments,
Nigeria will help in preventing celiac
monetization of benefits and local servicing
diseases. It has been scientifically proved
of input are effective way to cost reduction
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that gluten free diets help in eliminating helpful mutations. This genetic research also
celiac diseases; diseases that trigger extends to improving the yeast. Current
autoimmune enteropathy, affect the research is aimed at producing yeast strains
intestinal mucosa by rendering it that resist contamination and to making new
functionally impaired resulting in total varieties of yeast that can ferment
atrophy of the intestinal mucosa. carbohydrates, which common yeasts cannot
process.
Polyphenols found in beer especially beer
brewed with sorghum or rice as adjuncts The brewing industry is also making
when consumed, have been established advances in the area of rapid testing for
clinically to decrease all cause of mortality contaminants. New technology such as DNA
and cardiovascular diseases Beer has been probes and protein and chromosome finger-
shown to be a good source of polyphenols printing is being developed by brewers to
and it is one of the main food contributor to detect microorganisms that can adversely
hydroxybenzoic acid intake in the European affect the brewing process. Some of this
Prospective Investigation into Cancer and technology is already in use in medical
Nutrition cohort study. High intake of science for drug screening, AIDS testing,
hydroxibenzoics had been reported to and pregnancy testing. Brewers are eager to
decrease cardiovascular risk by 53%. adapt this cutting edge research to the beer
(Lamuela, 2014). Although beer is industry.
composed of 96% water, it is never an
‗empty calories‘, as erroneously believed, Over all conclusion
moderate consumption does not cause
weight gain or ―beer belly‖. Beer had been • Beer is as old as one could possibly think
discovered to lower calories than other dating as far back as 975 AD.
alcoholic beverages. (O‘Sullivan, 2014) • Beer brewing is scientific
• Beer purity law was the basis of hygienic
Recent research carried out in the USA production of beer and the basis of the
reported hat beer has health benefit;80,000 Good Manufacturing Practices(GMP) and
cases of US women investigated for 8 years Good Hygienic Practices (GHP)
were found to have 14% lower in high blood • Beer production has contributed to social
pressure cases of women who had moderate economic wellbeing of the country.
beer intake than non-drinkers. Similarly, • The healthy rivalry in the beer sector will
when men who rarely drank beer increase enhance Nigeria economy
their consumption to moderate levels of 1-2 • Moderate consumption of beer is good
bottles of beer a day, after a four year for your health;
period, their risk of type 2 diabetes dropped • Beer consumption as brewed in Nigeria
by 25% (Johnson, 2010) In addition reports with gluten free cereals and rich in
had been credited that moderate polyphenols will help in preventing celiac
consumption of beer can protect bone diseases
density (O‘Sullivan,2014). • The populace needs to be well educated
that moderate drinking of beer is
Much research is currently conducted in the beneficial to health after all.
area of plant engineering. Brewery • The per capita consumption of beer in
researchers are manipulating the genes of Nigeria is still abysmally low, less than
barley and other common grains to increase one liters compared to even South Africa
their resistance to disease and to encourage with 65 liters.
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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2015) 4(2): 1037-1052
The automatic canning machinery dwarfs the workers in this 1970s brewery canning room.
(From the collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.)
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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2015) 4(2): 1037-1052
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