Plan B Forum

A change to the recipe of Newcastle Brown Ale to attract American drinkers will mean the beer’s appearance will no longer be... brown.



Its distinctive hue comes from caramel colouring but brewers want it removed after fears in the US that it causes cancer.

EU officials have twice ruled that the chemical – 4-methylimidazole – is safe and US counterparts agree, but brewer Heineken has bowed to pressure from consumer groups across the Atlantic. A spokesman for Heineken confirmed: ‘We are in the process of changing our recipe for Newcastle Brown Ale and it will no longer include caramel colouring. ‘The amount used in Newcastle Brown Ale is well within the recommended safe levels set by these bodies.

‘However, we listened to consumer concerns that have been expressed, particularly in the USA, and chose to review our recipe. ‘We will now achieve the distinctive colouring and flavour of Newcastle Brown Ale, that our consumers enjoy, by using roasted malts instead.’ Beer expert Alistair Gilmore reassured drinkers that the flavour was unlikely to change. ‘It is absolutely possible for them to maintain the taste and appearance of the beer by changing the colouring,’ he said. ‘It should be exactly the same. ‘Some people say they have changed the ingredients over the years but I’m not sure whether they have or not. ‘People say it does not taste the same as it used to. This could be a mixture of nostalgia, modern brewing techniques or the change in water.’

The bottled beer was brewed next to St James’s Park football ground in Newcastle from 1927 until it moved to Gateshead in 2005, and finally to North Yorkshire.