Alcohol – Kahlua or vodka?

QUESTION:

Alcohol – what is best for additive free, is Kahlua or vodka ok?

ANSWER:

It is quite difficult to find out the required information that I need to make an assessment for alcohol. The labelling requirements centre around the requirements to declare the percentage of alcohol that it contains. There is NO requirement for a manufacturer to declare the ingredients of their alcohol.

In relation to Kahlua, my understanding is that the coffee liqueur is made by combining coffee with sugar, vanilla and rum. There could be an issue with the type of vanilla that is used. I would steer clear of any of the flavoured Kahlua varieties.

Vodka – this is usually created by fermenting food items that contain a sugar or starch and then its distilled. There are many fermented grains that vodka is made from such as sorghum, corn, wheat, rice, rye, and potatoes. I would opt for simple vodkas – not the flavoured varieties to reduce your likelihood of consuming additives.

I haven’t looked into the processing of either option to ensure that there aren’t other additives used as processing aids. Given the lack of information required by FSANZ I expect alcohol manufacturers would be less forthcoming than food manufacturers!

Personally, if I am going to consume any alcohol, I would opt for clean and clear unflavoured spirits and add my own flavourings.