I teach nutrition in Missouri and also teach in our local chemical dependency unit at the local hospital. I am trying to find a list of foods that contain alcohol but have had no luck. Do you have a list of foods that may contain alcohol?
I’ve been compiling my own list, but know I must be missing a bunch. Would love to hear from you! Thanks!
Other than the obvious beer, hard cider, wine, distilled spirits and liqueurs, I do not have a definitive list of foods with alcohol. So many new food products are launched in the U.S. grocery market every year that I would be hesitant to provide a complete list. I would encourage your chemical dependency residents to read food labels on the foods they buy because typical sources of alcohol listed above do not have Nutrition Facts labels at this time. I would also caution them to read the labels on over the counter mouthwash and liquid cough medications which often contain alcohol.
The most obvious source of alcohol in food products is flavor extracts used in cooking. The real vanilla extract is made by placing split vanilla beans from orchids in a solution of 35% alcohol (minimum required by FDA) for at least 1 year to extract the flavor. Imitation vanilla extract is a byproduct of making paper pulp from wood and is often used in baked or cooked products to retain the vanilla flavor. Flavor extracts such as real vanilla extract in recipes that are heated mostly vaporize the alcohol into the air, but is dependent on time and temperature. See the table here. Vanilla extract in foods that are not cooked with heat will contain alcohol especially if the food is kept in a closed container.
