Kronenbourg 1664 (UK)

Company email (February 2024) "I am pleased to inform you that Kronenbourg 1664 is free from any animal derived ingredients. Kronenbourg 1664 not yet live on the shelves from Carlsberg.Carlsberg Marstons own the brand of Kronenbourg 1664, from October 2023 all beer for draft has been brewed by CMBC. From March 2024 CMBC will be brewing all 1664 for the UK market. You should be able to identify Heineken and CMBC production as this is stated on the cans/bottles."

"Unfortunately Kronenbourg is not suitable for Vegans [in the UK]."

Joep provides some historical info: "In the UK, Kronenbourg is a brand of Heineken and is brewed by Heineken in the UK (Manchester). In the UK, it seems that a fish based product is used to filter the beer. In the rest of Europe, Kronenbourg is a brand of Carlsberg and brewed by Carlsberg in France (Obernai) and perhaps other breweries. In France, it seems that no animal based product is used. When Carlsberg and Heineken devided the spoils of the Scottisch and Newcastle take-over, Carlsberg got France and Heineken got the UK. For Kronenbourg a special agreement was made. The orginal Kronenbourg breweries are in France and belong to Carlsberg, but Heineken was allowed to keep the brand for a couple of years. Heinken was also in the dog house for the advert with Eric Cantona, because it's Kronenbourg is brewed in the UK instead of France. I was in Obernai recently and took a tour of the brewery where the guide explained this after a remark made by somebody from the UK. Whatever the Carlsberg and Heineken agreement is, it seems that Kronenbourg beer can be consumed in France - but not in the UK - by a true vegetarian."

"Kronenbourg [UK] is not suitable for vegetarians as it is clarified using isinglass finings which are fish derived."

"Although Heineken UK products are not tested on animals, we treat our some of our beers with isinglass finings (a solution of collagen prepared from certain fish). This is the only animal product which Heineken UK ever uses in beer production." [Heineken makes Kronenbourg in the UK, the mail was in response to a Kronenbourg question]

UPDATE: June 2009 Fosters Company Email: "All other Foster beer brands made in Australia are not vegan friendly, including Stella Artois, Carlsberg and Kronenbourg"

"Although Scottish & Newcastle UK products are not tested on animals, we treat our beers with isinglass finings (a solution of collagen prepared from certain fish). This is the only animal product which Scottish & Newcastle UK ever uses in beer production. Isinglass has been used in beers for centuries as a clarification agent during beer conditioning. In keg and small pack beers, there is very little, if any finings left in the finished product as it settles out with the yeast, and any residues are removed during the filtration process. In cask beers, however, finings is added to the beer when it is packaged to assist the settling of the live yeast that is an integral part of cask conditioning. Cask beers, then, will always have some finings in the cask, but if the beer has been treated properly in the pub and isn't cloudy, the sediment containing the majority of finings remains at the bottom of the cask and very little carries through to the finished product. Unfortunately, fish finings work so well that all attempts by brewers to find a suitable alternative have by and large been unsuccessful. There has been no concern over health aspects, as no consumer ill effects have ever been reported over the many, many years that finings have been used. Although the conclusion drawn is that there is little, if any, finings in the finished product, it is advised that as the product may contain traces of finings that we do not say it is suitable for vegetarians.' With regards to our ciders, three of our products, Strongbow Sirrus, Bulmers Original and Jacques use an animal product as a colouring material. Our other ciders do not use any animal products as ingredients. However some of our processes occasionally use isinglass finings as a clarifying agent and as such we can't guarantee that any of our ciders are suitable for vegetarians."