Beer, towards new production rules: Unionbirrai's satisfaction

The amendment and elimination of some old brewing regulations is getting closer and closer. To the satisfaction of brewers, who see the abolition of what are now considered obsolete stakes that have been overtaken by time and new brewing techniques.

"With the approval in the Senate of the amendment to the Ddl Imprese signed by Senator Luca De Carlo, chairman of the Industry and Agriculture Commission, the path to updating the rules governing the production of beer in Italy officially begins," emphasises the satisfaction of Unionbirrai, an association that brings together craft brewers, which for years has been calling for "the repeal of a decree considered anachronistic and penalising for national production, especially for craft breweries".

"After years of work and confrontation," says Vittorio Ferraris, general director of Unionbirrai, "it is finally clear that the institutions have realised the need to update an outdated regulation that is highly penalising for Italian brewers, especially small independent breweries. Now it is important that the confrontation with the supply chain, envisaged for the drafting of the new decree, is rapid, open and based on technical evidence.

The provision stipulates that an interministerial decree will define the new analytical characteristics and quality requirements for the different types of beer,

The text of the De Carlo amendment stipulates that: 'Within 180 days of the entry into force of this provision, a decree of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, in agreement with the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Health, shall lay down the analytical characteristics and quality requirements of the different types of beer'. Thus superseding Presidential Decree No. 1498 of 1970.