title: Alcohol content in declared non-to low alcoholic beverages: implications to pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol consumption in pregnancy may result in serious adverse fetal outcome. Non- or low alcoholic wines and beers may be a risk-reduction strategy to help alcohol-dependent individuals to prevent or limit ethanol consumption. The objective of this study was to quantify ethanol concentrations in Canadian beverages claiming to contain no or low alcohol content.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five different beverages claiming to contain no or low alcohol content in the Canadian market were tested for ethanol concentration using gas chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen (29%) of the beverages contained ethanol levels higher than the declared concentration on their label. Six beverages claiming to contain no alcohol were found to contain greater than 1% ethanol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnant women seeking replacement to alcoholic beverages may be misled by these labels, unknowingly exposing themselves and their unborn babies to ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Y Ingrid
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Zulfikar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Verjee
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D001515:Beer / Q000032:analysis; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002170:Canada; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol