Organic
Organic food is produced without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, sewage sludge, ionizing radiation, or food additives. Certified organic food in the United States is grown according to standards set by the USDA’s National Organic Program.
MateVeza has chosen to brew organic because of our commitment to the environment, public health, and using the highest quality ingredients. MateVeza is brewed with organic malt, organic yerba mate, and conventionally farmed hops according to the standards of the USDA’s National Organic Program.
A note about hops:
The USDA has placed hops on their list of exempted ingredients for organic certification due to commercial unavailability. In other words, the USDA has acknowledged how difficult it is to source organically grown hops and has allowed manufacturers to use the USDA Organic seal as long as 95% of the beer’s ingredients are organic (hops account for less than 5% of beer ingredients by weight).
There are currently no commercially grown organic hops in the United States. Many brewers have even had trouble finding conventionally grown hops, as we are in the midst of a massive hop-shortage, with prices as much as five times higher than in years past. Some consider this a loophole that misleads customers, but without this exemption, brewers would have far less incentive to use organic malt and other organic ingredients. MateVeza will continue to seek organic hops and welcomes their removal from the USDA exemption list as soon as they are commercially available.
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