How One of The World’s Oldest Food Safety Standards Approaches Expiration: The Case of German Beer

The paper at hand contemplatesthe effect of a centuries-old national food safety standard on innovation in aglobalizing market. To that end, the case of the German Beer Industry is analysedto explicate the relationship between a longstanding beer purity decree and brewinginnovation. Over 500 years of existence the so-called “Reinheitsgebot”, nowlaid down in federal German law, has served to restrict variety and safeguardthe quality of locally-produced beers. In turn, the standard prominently shapedthe national image as well as consumer preferences across all regions inGermany. This research however demonstrates how this has overwhelmingly broughtabout adverse consequences for the international relevance of German beer in anincreasingly globalised economy, which favours diversity in tastes. Due tochanging consumption trends and the constricted innovative ability of German brewers,the findings inform government’s responsibility in standardisation for traditionalconsumer goods industries at a time of urgent need for action.