As demand for nonalcoholic beer continues to grow, breweries are looking for reliable ways to serve it on draft. But NA beer's low alcohol content and high nutrient load make it especially vulnerable to microbial spoilage, creating unique challenges for keg stability.

Join Scott Laboratories and a panel of brewing industry professionals as they explore how Nagardo, a naturally derived microbial stabilizer dosed in the brite tank, helps maintain microbial stability on draft. We'll discuss the science behind spoilage, practical application in the brewhouse, and how breweries are safely scaling draft NA beer production.

Speakers Include:

• Nate Armbrust,Technical Sales - Specialty Beverage, Scott Laboratories

• Paul Marquardt, Head of Business Line Consumer Solutions North America, Lanxess

• John M. Verive, Contributing Writer, Craft Beer & Brewing

Additional Resources:

• Development of a Pasteurization Bioindicator for Nonalcoholic Beers

• Effect of Carbonation on the Survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella Enteritidis in Non-Alcoholic Beer and the Microbiological and Physicochemical Quality of Draught Products

• Nagardo® Sachets User Guidelines

• The Enhanced Susceptibility of Alcohol‐Free and Low Alcohol Beers to Microbiological Spoilage

• Draught Beer Quality Manual

Nagardo® is a naturally derived microbial stabilizer made from a purified mixture of glycolipids produced by the edible mushroom Dacryopinax spathularia (sweet osmanthus ear). It disrupts microbial cell membranes, providing broad protection against spoilage yeast and bacteria.

Because it is water‑soluble, shelf‑stable, and direct‑addition friendly, Nagardo can be incorporated into beverage production without special dosing equipment or complex safety procedures.

Want to learn more about Nagardo? See “Introducing Nagardo: A Revolutionary New, Natural Microbial Control Agent.”

Nagardo in Nonalcoholic Beer

Nonalcoholic (NA) beer is uniquely vulnerable to microbial spoilage for several reasons. With little to no ethanol present, NA beer lacks one of the most fundamental natural hurdles against microbial growth. These beers also tend to carry more residual nutrients, giving spoilage organisms more to feed on. Modern NA production also often includes late additions such as dry hops, fruit purées, botanicals, or flavorings that can introduce microorganisms and/or substrates, further increasing spoilage and refermentation risks.

Where Nagardo Fits

Nagardo® is an excellent alternative to tunnel pasteurization and preservatives. Many breweries don’t have the space, budget, or throughput to justify a tunnel pasteurizer, and alternative preservatives such as sorbate or benzoate can create noticeable sensory impacts in beer. Velcorin® is a strong microbial control option in many beverages, but its chemistry is not compatible with typical beer pH.

Nagardo, on the other hand, is effective across beer’s typical pH range. When combined with standard process controls such as centrifugation, filtration, and/or flash pasteurization, Nagardo helps build a reliable multi-hurdle strategy for NA beer.

Note: Nagardo can be used in NA beer upon formula approval by the TTB.

Nagardo Enables NA Beer on Draft!

NA beer on draft has historically presented stability challenges. Traditional kegging depends on alcohol content and strict cold-chain storage to limit microbial growth. Because NA beer lacks alcohol’s inhibitory effect and often contains more nutrients for microbes, kegged NA beer has long been viewed as a high‑risk format.

Nagardo changes that. When dosed into the brite beer tank (BBT) and mixed evenly with CO₂ injection, Nagardo remains present through packaging and helps maintain microbial stability, including in kegs. Because Nagardo doesn’t require any process changes or specialized equipment, breweries can stabilize NA beer in a way that finally makes kegs a viable and scalable format.

Nagardo in Ready-to-Drink Beverages

Ready‑to‑drink (RTD) beverages are fully mixed alcoholic drinks packaged for immediate consumption and include products such as canned cocktails, spritzers, vodka sodas, and coolers. The category has grown quickly in recent years and spans a wide range of formulas. The base alcohol varies (typically spirit, malt, or wine), and there are almost infinite possibilities for fruit, flavor, or concentrate additions. Therefore, these beverages vary widely in pH, sugar content, microbial load, and microbial risk and can be complicated to stabilize.

Why Is Stabilization So Complicated in RTDs?

Many producers making RTDs are existing breweries and distilleries, and RTDs can present new stabilization challenges compared to beer, spirits, and other traditional beverages.

Many RTDs have such additions as flavoring, concentrates, juices, fruits, wine, and ciders. Some of these products are prone to oxidative damage, which can manifest as browning, loss of aroma, and development of bruised apple/honey character. Some of these additions can also cause “colloidal instability,” which can result in filtration challenges, hazes, and precipitates.

Refermentation

Many RTDs contain residual sugar in the additions mentioned above. Even if these products are aseptic, their residual sugar can be consumed by spoilage yeast and bacteria picked up before or during packaging and result in refermentation on the shelf.

While residual sugar is the primary reason for refermentation, many organic acids present in fruits (and even ethanol itself!) can be metabolized by certain spoilage organisms. Therefore, it’s common to see additional antimicrobial measures employed in RTDs for extra insurance on the shelf.

Co-packing

Many RTDs are packaged at co-packing facilities. This can mean that the producer is removed from the stabilization and packaging process, which is the final critical control point for the product. Finding a knowledgeable co-packer with the right capabilities to stabilize your specific product is critical, especially if you personally don’t have the expertise.

Where Nagardo Fits

Nagardo® is well‑suited for RTD production for several key reasons:

• Broad pH efficacy: Nagardo is effective across pH 2.5–7, making it adaptable to the wide range of RTD formulations on the market.
• Compatible with malt‑based RTDs: Velcorin®, a great option for stabilizing many RTDs, is not compatible with malt-based RTDs. Nagardo presents an excellent alternative in these beverages.
• Broad spectrum: RTDs often contain diverse substrates (sugars, organic acids, etc.) and can support a variety of microorganisms. Nagardo is effective against both yeast and bacteria, providing comprehensive microbial control.

Note: As with NA beer, Nagardo can be used in RTDs upon formula approval by the TTB.

Nagardo in Wine & Cider

In wine and cider, one of Nagardo’s most promising applications is as a reliable antimicrobial alternative to SO₂. It can be used throughout the process to control yeast and bacteria when SO₂ is undesirable and/or ineffective.

• When chemistry limits SO₂ efficacy—Post-fermentation, pH limits the proportion of SO₂ in its antimicrobial (molecular) form.
• For low-input wines—SO₂ use must be minimized or eliminated.
• For canned wines—SO₂ can react with aluminum cans to generate sulfur off-odors (H₂S).

Can Nagardo Replace SO₂?

Nagardo® can’t completely replace SO₂ because it still provides antioxidant protection that Nagardo does not. The key is the dosage: The SO₂ levels needed for antioxidant protection are far below the levels often required for antimicrobial protection. Nagardo enables producers to reduce overall SO₂ usage to only the levels needed for antioxidant protection without sacrificing microbial control.

Use Alongside Velcorin

Wine and cider producers have the opportunity to combine Velcorin® and Nagardo®, using each where it excels: Velcorin (DMDC) as microbial protection during packaging and Nagardo earlier in production, in transportation, or in storage.

DMDC can technically be added at earlier stages, but it’s not typically used this way. The TTB caps total DMDC use at 200 ppm over the life of a wine, and because DMDC hydrolyzes quickly, it doesn’t provide lasting protection. For that reason, it is recommended to use the full 200 ppm at packaging—where the treatment is most effective—rather than dividing smaller doses across earlier stages.

By pairing Nagardo earlier in the process with Velcorin on the packaging line, producers can cover both ongoing microbial control and final package stability. This complementary approach builds a multi-hurdle system that minimizes microbial risk.

Note: For use in wine and cider, producers can evaluate Nagardo under TTB experimental use (27 CFR § 24.249) at this time.

Operational Simplicity

A recurring advantage across all beverage categories is Nagardo®’s operational simplicity:

• No specialized dosing equipment is required.
• No dedicated safety protocols are needed.
• It is water‑soluble.
• It can be added directly.
• It is compatible with existing antimicrobial treatments and practices.

This “easy on‑ramp” makes Nagardo ideal for small and mid‑sized beverage producers who may not have the infrastructure for more complex stabilizing technologies.

Contact us to learn more.

Nagardo® is a revolutionary new microbial stabilizer for beverage production. It is naturally derived and made from a purified mixture of glycolipids sourced from an edible mushroom, Dacryopinax spathularia (sweet osmanthus ear). It is extracted with a solvent-free process and is non-GMO and allergen-free.

While Nagardo can be used throughout the production process, it is primarily used just before packaging to ensure shelf-stability, providing broad-spectrum protection against common spoilage yeast and bacteria. Developed by LANXESS, the makers of Velcorin®, Nagardo represents a new frontier in microbial control for soft drinks, nonalcoholic (NA) drinks, wine, cider, beer, and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages.

How Nagardo Works

Nagardo® is a glycolipid, meaning it is composed of both a sugar (glyco-) and a lipid (fatty) component. Its antimicrobial action occurs through direct interaction with microbial cell membranes.

When spoilage yeast or bacteria are exposed to Nagardo, the glycolipid disrupts membrane integrity, interfering with essential cellular processes such as nutrient transport and energy regulation. This disruption prevents growth and survival across a broad range of microorganisms.

Benefits of Nagardo

Ease of Use

From a production standpoint, Nagardo® is simple and easy to implement without process changes or additional equipment:

• No dosing equipment required
• No safety/special-handling requirements
• Water soluble
• Shelf stable
• Added directly to the beverage

Compatible with Other Microbial Control Strategies

Nagardo® is compatible with common microbial control strategies such as SO₂, chitosan, flash pasteurization, and Velcorin®, allowing beverage producers to combine antimicrobial strategies.

Wide pH Compatibility

Nagardo® maintains chemical stability from pH 2.5 to 7 and is most effective between pH 2.5 and 4.6. Its pH flexibility enables use in malt- and grain-based beverages (including NA beer) and a variety of RTDs.

Regulatory Status

Because the use of glycolipids for microbial control in beverages is a first‑of‑its‑kind application, Nagardo® is moving through the standard regulatory review processes with both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) before full approval in the United States. It is normal for regulatory timelines to vary across countries and beverage categories, and products such as Nagardo routinely progress at different speeds depending on jurisdiction and intended use.

Nagardo received FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) recognition in 2018 for use in NA beverages. It is currently under review by the TTB for use in alcoholic and alcohol‑removed beverages. Today, Nagardo is:

• Approved in Europe for use in NA beer and NA soft beverages
• Approved in the United States for use in soft beverages
• Can be used in RTDs and NA beer upon formulation approval by the TTB
• Can be used experimentally in wine and cider (must submit application to TTB under 27 CFR § 24.249)

From the Makers of Velcorin

LANXESS has earned global trust through decades of proven microbial control solutions, including the widespread use of Velcorin® across the beverage industry. Nagardo® builds on that same foundation of safety, science, and reliability. With its natural origin and expanding regulatory approvals, it offers a promising new option for modern beverage protection.

Learn More

Nagardo® is currently allowed for experimental use. Contact us for more information.