Russia’s standards watchdog has issued a set of recommendations for beer quality as it plans to test domestic and foreign lagers ahead of the World Cup this month.
Beer producers have reportedly appealed to local and federal officials to not restrict alcohol sales during the tournament that kicks off in 11 Russian cities in 10 days. Breweries have warned that footballs fans could be forced to purchase illegal hard liquor if the bans stay in place.
“Experts recommend paying attention to the foam: If it remains for less than three minutes, it means the beer is not of the highest quality,” Russia’s Roskachestvo standards watchdog said in a statement Monday.
Roskachestvo said it will test more than 40 domestic and imported brands for taste, quality, alcohol content, as well as whether harmful chemical components migrate from beer cans and bottles into the lager.
“In addition, Roskachestvo will set up an experiment to compare two identical beers of the same brand made in Russia and abroad, testing the myth that the quality of beer depends critically on its origin,” it said.
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