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Food

German Beer Company Banned from Using the Word ‘Wholesome’

No more cuddly, wholesome beer for you.
Photo via Flickr user k.ivoutin.

Lovely, refreshing beer. So cold, crisp, and thirst-quenching. Delicious? Yes. Bubbly? Sometimes. But would you describe it as “wholesome”? It’s a beer, not a thick-knit woollen jumper from Boden or the warm feeling you get from batch-cooking a root vegetable stew.

However, German brewery Clemens Härle would probably disagree, despite having recently been banned from using the word to advertise their beer. As industry website The Drinks Business reports, the German Federal Court of Justice has barred any beer company from using the word “bekömmlich”—roughly translating to “wholesome”—on their branding.

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The ruling came yesterday after the Association of Social-Minded Competition challenged Clemens Härle brewery for their use of the term, claiming that it was misleading. They argued that the word implied that beer had health benefits, which contravenes EU guidelines on alcohol advertising.

In court, owner of Clemens Härle brewery, Gottfried Härle, defended his choice of the word, saying “my great-grandfather described his beer as ‘wholesome.’ Enjoying beer in moderation is absolutely wholesome.” Despite the brewery using the word in relation to its beer since 1900, the court ruled against him.

This isn’t the first time a brand has been pulled up on its wording. Earlier this year, British food chain Pret a Manger was forced to change its slogan, after being told by an advertising watchdog that its products could not be sold as “good, natural food.” The Real Bread Campaign, who brought the challenge against the chain, pointed out that its baguettes and sandwiches contained a bunch of E-numbers.

Better luck next time, affluent brands!