Alcohol powder
Encyclopedia
Alcohol powder is a powder
that will produce an alcoholic drink when mixed with water
.
According to food chemist
Udo Pollmer of the European Institute of Food and Nutrition Sciences in Munich
, alcohol can be absorbed in cyclodextrin
es, a sugar derivate. In this way, encapsuled in small capsules, the fluid can be handled as a powder. The cyclodextrines can absorb an estimated 60 percent of their own weight in alcohol. A US food patent
has been registered for the process as early as 1974.
, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
(TTB), alcohol powders which are intended for beverage use fall within the jurisdiction of both the federal government (TTB) and the state governments. Therefore, they are regulated the same as any other alcoholic beverage, require the same licensing approvals and are subject to the alcoholic beverage taxes.
Currently, alcohol powder which is unfit for beverage purposes is sold as a food flavouring
in the United States. There is some uncertainty as to legal regulations in other countries. According to some, alcohol laws would in general only apply to liquids. This would mean that powder-based alcoholic beverages could be sold to minors and that the powder would be exempt from alcohol tax. (See Netherlands below.)
powder based on imported raw alcohol powder from the US.
-flavoured drink with 3 % alcohol when mixed with water. When put into commercial production, it is expected to sell for 1.50 euro ($2.50) for a 20 gram sachet. The product is marketed by four food technology students, Harm van Elderen, Martyn van Nierop and others at Helicon Vocational Institute in Boxtel
. They said they are aiming at the youth market, and one advantage of the powder is it would be legal to sell to people under 16, the legal age of drinking in the Netherlands. They compared the drink to alcopop
s like Bacardi Breezer
, and expect the relatively low alcohol content will be popular with the young segment.
Director Wim van Dalen of the Dutch National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention said the powder was not subject to the Alcohol and Horeca
Code, but when dissolved in water it would be. This would mean that everyone could buy the powder. He said he generally did not support new alcoholic drinks, but doubted the powder would become attractive. A spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport said they would not undertake any actions against the product, but added that according to other laws the label must contain a warning about any health risks for the consumer.
Powder (substance)
A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...
that will produce an alcoholic drink when mixed with water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
.
Chemical properties
Little about the composition of the powder, as well as the process occurring when mixed with water, has been revealed in news sources.According to food chemist
Food chemistry
Food chemistry is the study of chemical processes and interactions of all biological and non-biological components of foods. The biological substances include such items as meat, poultry, lettuce, beer, and milk as examples...
Udo Pollmer of the European Institute of Food and Nutrition Sciences in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, alcohol can be absorbed in cyclodextrin
Cyclodextrin
Cyclodextrins are a family of compounds made up of sugar molecules bound together in a ring ....
es, a sugar derivate. In this way, encapsuled in small capsules, the fluid can be handled as a powder. The cyclodextrines can absorb an estimated 60 percent of their own weight in alcohol. A US food patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
has been registered for the process as early as 1974.
Legal issues
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury....
(TTB), alcohol powders which are intended for beverage use fall within the jurisdiction of both the federal government (TTB) and the state governments. Therefore, they are regulated the same as any other alcoholic beverage, require the same licensing approvals and are subject to the alcoholic beverage taxes.
Currently, alcohol powder which is unfit for beverage purposes is sold as a food flavouring
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
in the United States. There is some uncertainty as to legal regulations in other countries. According to some, alcohol laws would in general only apply to liquids. This would mean that powder-based alcoholic beverages could be sold to minors and that the powder would be exempt from alcohol tax. (See Netherlands below.)
Germany
In Germany a product called Subyou reportedly was or is distributed on the Internet. The product was available in four flavours and packed in 65 gram, or possibly 100 gram, sachets. When mixed with 0,25 litres of water it gives a drink with 4.8 % alcohol. It was assumed a German producer manufactured the alcopopAlcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
powder based on imported raw alcohol powder from the US.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands the product Booz2go made its way to news headlines in May 2007. It will produce a bubbly, lime-coloured and limeLime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
-flavoured drink with 3 % alcohol when mixed with water. When put into commercial production, it is expected to sell for 1.50 euro ($2.50) for a 20 gram sachet. The product is marketed by four food technology students, Harm van Elderen, Martyn van Nierop and others at Helicon Vocational Institute in Boxtel
Boxtel
Boxtel is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands.This is the origin of the van Boxtel family, which has numerous descendants in North Brabant....
. They said they are aiming at the youth market, and one advantage of the powder is it would be legal to sell to people under 16, the legal age of drinking in the Netherlands. They compared the drink to alcopop
Alcopop
Alcopop is a colloquial term describing certain flavored alcoholic beverages, including:#malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added...
s like Bacardi Breezer
Bacardi Breezer
Bacardi Breezer, Breezer for short, is a rum-based alcopop with 4% alcohol It comes in a variety of fruit flavours: lemon, peach, pineapple, apple, ruby grapefruit, lime, orange, blackberry, watermelon, cranberry, coconut, raspberry, blueberry, pomegranate and mango...
, and expect the relatively low alcohol content will be popular with the young segment.
Director Wim van Dalen of the Dutch National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention said the powder was not subject to the Alcohol and Horeca
Horeca
Horeca is a business term which refers to a sector of the food service industry, to establishments which prepare and serve food and beverages. The term is a syllabic abbreviation of the words Hotel/Restaurant/Café....
Code, but when dissolved in water it would be. This would mean that everyone could buy the powder. He said he generally did not support new alcoholic drinks, but doubted the powder would become attractive. A spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport said they would not undertake any actions against the product, but added that according to other laws the label must contain a warning about any health risks for the consumer.
United States
Currently, Pulver Spirits is developing a line of alcohol powder products which are scheduled to be released in 2010. The marketing is reportedly going to be in full compliance with alcohol regulations and targeted at adults of legal drinking age.External links
- Official website of Pulver Spirits (defunct)