Going vegan: Guinness decides to change its 256-year-old brew

Vegan beer drinkers rejoice because everyone's favorite Irish brew plans to change up it's 256-year-old concoction by removing isinglass, the yeast-filtering gelatin that is made from fish bladder, CNN Money reports.

According to the company's press release, while isinglass is a widely used method of filtration among the brewing industry, vegetarians everywhere have been asking the makers of Guinness to make it suitable for everyone. The company has been in constant lookout for an alternative solution and fortunately, they were able to identify the very product to help them. No other details has been given by Guiness about the what vegan-friendly ingredient they will use although the company will initially implement the change in its country of origin.

One reason for the change is possibly brought about by an online petition which was started by Change Organization. The group requests the company to make the beer suitable for vegan and vegetarian consumption, also suggesting to the company to look for alternatives to isinglass.

A Guinness spokesperson shares that the company is set to built a filtration plant next year where the vegan-friendly substance will be used, Examiner reports. "Whilst isinglass is a very effective means of clarification, and has been used for many years, we expect to stop using it as the new filtration asset is introduced," he adds. The news of the change comes as a surprise because only last January, Guinness informed Barnivore that there is no alternative to isinglass that the company finds suitable for their brew.

While there are consumers who rally to pressure beer companies into revealing their ingredients, Michele Simon, JD, MPH shares there is no law requiring them to do so. The public health lawyer explains, "Ingredient labeling on food products and non-alcoholic beverages is required by the Food and Drug Administration. But a whole other federal agency regulates beer, and not very well. The Department of Treasury oversees alcoholic beverages. That probably explains why we know more about what's in a can of Coke than a can of Bud. You can also thank the alcohol industry, which has lobbied for years against efforts to require ingredient labeling." 

The big change will occur next year, E! News Online writes. Many experts believe this move will increase Guinness's sales especially once the change is adapted. DEO, the parent company of Guiness, blamed their slow profit this year to microbrewery competition from other vegan-friendly beers such as Heineken, Miller, and Anheuser-Busch.