Trade bodies Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry (BFBi), Brands Dispense Association (BDA), Regional Brewers Dispense Association (RDA) and British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) have come together to release guidelines to help pubs and bars overcome these issues.
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Put simply, without alcohol to kill any microbes or pathogens, a more rigorous cleaning regime is needed for the dispense of kegged low & no products with the collective stating: “The general rule is, treat it like cask.”
The group said it is enjoying a big uptake and engagement with brand owners of low & no drinks but are “encountering a glass ceiling in trying to communicate the message to the licensee”.
“We don’t want the low & no brand decimated by one single act of negligence in dispense – microbial spoilage is a very real threat to the quality of product at the font,” said BFBi chief executive Ruth Evans MBE.
The information is available in the form of a flyer from the collective and is titled Licensee guidelines for the dispense of no/low beers on shared dispense systems.
It states the following actions must be taken to ensure risks are reduced and consumer experience is delivered to a high standard, therefore minimising the risk(s).
Beer
• Brand owner should clearly identify that the product in the keg as low & no to reduce the risk of incorrect connection in the cellar. Especially if there are both alcoholic and low & no versions of the same brand.
• Check ‘best before’ dates and general condition of the keg on delivery.
Staff training
• Hygiene training of outlet staff, personal and dispense system, together with the recognition that products must not be mixed up, ie, pouring alcohol brands through a non-alcohol line, is essential.
• Training should include communicating to the consumer at point of purchase which glass contains non-alcohol, helpful to use glassware that is clearly marked.
Temperature
• Management of the temperature of keg storage and dispense is an important part of the management of the contamination risk of draught non-alcoholic beer.
• Ideal line temperature for low & no keg products is below 5°C once connected to the dispense system. Maximum storage temperature, in the cellar, for non-alcohol kegs should not exceed 12°C.
• Kegs of low & no product should not exceed 25°C during the end-to-end supply chain.
Throughput (rate of sale)
Draught low & no should only be considered if:
• Package volume exceeds 1.5 x the min RoS for keg, based on keg size available.
• Keg emptied in five to seven days or brand owner’s recommendation of continuous connection to the dispense system.
• Equal volumes per day sold during the five to seven days.
Hygiene
• Line sanitisation / cleaning must be performed – as a minimum – every seven days.
• Ideally clean/flush between kegs, with potable water, to reduce any cross contamination from old to new.
• Cleaning should be carried out following the manufacturer’s instructions for dilution rates and process, using a recognised brand of cleaning agent.
• Pre-connection – use a (commercial) non-alcoholic sanitising spray on the keg coupler, spear and cleaning socket.
• Do not place the coupler on the floor or other surfaces where microorganisms will be present.
• Soak tap nozzles daily in commercial sanitising solution containing sodium dichloroisocyanurate.
• Ensure there is no cross contamination.
