Like many common ‘non-alcoholic’ foods and beverages, our drinks contain a very small amount of alcohol. So why do we call them alcohol free?
In most parts of the world (New Zealand included) beverages that contain 0.5% alcohol or less are legally considered ‘alcohol free’, ‘non-alcoholic’ or ‘zero percent alcohol’.
Of course, even at 0.5%, there’s still a tiny ‘trace’ amount of alcohol – but these drinks are not considered ‘alcoholic beverages’ as this trace amount is too small to have any intoxicating effect.
Other common foods with trace amounts of alcohol include orange juice, kombucha, many common soft drinks, bananas, many types of bread, and soy sauce.
It’s impossible to become intoxicated (or even to get close) no matter how many of these drinks or foods you consume. Your body simply processes the alcohol faster than the time it takes you to drink the drink. Here’s a great summary of how that happens.
So ‘alcohol free’ is all about being free from the amount of alcohol that could make you intoxicated - you’ll always be sober with an alcohol free drink.
If you have any doubts or concerns about your use of AF Drinks or any of the many common foods that contain trace amounts of alcohol, consult your doctor or health professional.
