Whether you work in the food and beverage, cosmetics or perfume industries, transitioning into using organic alcohol for your drink, perfume or cosmetic product is something you might need to take into serious considerations. Across the board, the organic market is growing as consumers are becoming more environmentally and health conscious* about the products they use and consume, and this behaviour is not likely to go away any time soon
While alcohol/ethanol is made from organic materials such as grains, sugarcane and fruit to name a few examples it doesn’t make it a certified “organic product”. Extra procedures need to be implemented for alcohol to be certified as organic.
Here’s what you need to know about buying and using organic ethanol in your products.
There isn’t a single global organisation overseeing all organic certification. In some cases, it’s administered by the governmental departments like the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). In other cases, it’s a job undertaken by independent organisations, such as the Soil Association in the UK.
While each organisation may have some minor differences in the exact regulations, the generally agreed upon definition of organic products are products that have been produced, processed and stored without the use of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, antibiotics, sewage sludge or genetically modified organisms.
All types of organic ethanol are produced using methods from organic farming in which the crops are grown without pesticides, artificial fertilisers, sewage sludge and are processed without ionizing radiation (which helps to increase the shelf life of a product) or food additives.
Instead of relying on synthetic chemicals to control pests and diseases, natural alternatives and methods are implemented, like using pesticides made from natural ingredients and encouraging natural predators as a form of pest control.
One of the most common questions that we get about organic alcohol is "is it better?". Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this. It all depends on what is meant by "better". In terms of environmental impacts then yes organic is the better option. If you are talking about flavour then it becomes more subjective. Organic options tend to also be slightly more expensive than its non-organic counterparts, therefore it might not be the better financial option.
Organic grain alcohol: made from rye is a popular base for gin and gin liqueurs. Important note, for a product like gin, the ethanol as well as the botanicals used must be certified as organic for the final product to qualify as such.
Organic wheat alcohol: Base ingredient for vodka, gin, and cosmetic
Organic grape alcohol: Used to make fortified wines (sherry), grappa and other grape-based spirits
Organic cane alcohol: The key ingredient in organic rum (light, dark and gold rum), cane-based liquors, and cosmetics
All of the organic options above can also be used in making organic food products, like organic vinegar and flavours extracts like organic vanilla extract.
The term “organic” has been co-opted by some as a marketing buzzword, simply slapped on labels to catch the consumer’s eyes so it’s important to pay close attention to the wording as the product may not be as organic as it seems. Does it say 100% organic or “made with organic ingredients”? there is a big difference between the two. However, it's not just tricky wording on finished packaged goods that consumers need to be aware of. Buyers of bulk organic ethanol need to also pay close attention to the organic alcohol suppliers, who may choose to do a little word-play on their products.
Organic ethanol from Ethimex has been certified by Soil Association, USDA, ECO Certs, among other certifying bodies, which only award the certification to products that are 100% organic across its process. To get awarded organic certification, not only does the raw material need to be grown under organic conditions but the processing, storing and any other process in the manufacture and supply chain has to follow organic practices. This means that the distillery and transporters need to have organic certifications.
If a factory also processes non-organic products, the production of organic ethanol is isolated from the standard product. For the production of ethanol, often, for the first part of the production, a batch of the organic ethanol will be used to first “clean” and flush the equipment involved and the batch used will be considered as non-organic. In this case, organic ethanol will typically be produce in large batches and stored appropriately.
Our organic ethanol selection includes organic alcohol made from grain (wheat and rye), sugarcane, and organic wine (or grapes). Ethimex can also supply you with organic botanicals and organic spirits such as rum, vodka, or gin, ready for blending or ageing.
See our Specially Certified Alcohol product page for more information or ask one of our experts any questions you may have about organic ethanol.
*Disclaimer: while organic alcohol will contain artificial pesticides and additives this does not make it “health product” not does it make a healthier product compared to non-organic alcohol. Please follow responsible drinking and consumption practices.
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