Is Mug Root Beer Gluten-Free?

Yes, Mug Root Beer, a super sweet carbonated beverage, is gluten free. They offer several varieties that people who suffer with severe gluten intolerances and celiac disease can consume without contamination. They are:

• Mug Root Beer (Original)
• Diet Mug Root Beer
• Mug Cream Soda
• Diet Mug Cream Soda

About Mug Root Beer

Started by the Belfast Beverage Company in the early 1940s, Mug Root Beer was once called Belfast Root Beer. The name changed to Mug Old-Fashioned Root Beer in 1947. It was a beloved ingredient to make Brown Cows (Root Beer Floats) or to enjoy on a hot summer day.

It originally comprised only three ingredients: water, sassafras and sugar.

Sweetmyx 

Today PepsiCo owns the brand and, in 2015, began adding Sweetmyx by a company called Senomyx, a bioengineering company. This flavor enhancer is added to increase the sugary taste in drinks and foods. This flavoring is exclusive to PepsiCo and only they have the rights to use the flavor in drinks.

Lack of Regulations & Transparency for Mug Root Beer

There is no law or regulation requiring PepsiCo to disclose their ingredients when under the banner of “natural and artificial flavors.” What’s more, there is no literature by the FDA about Sweetmyx, what it is or whether it has the organization’s approval or not.

Ingredients in Mug Root Beer

While the following ingredients are gluten free, there’s no way to know what the company means by “natural and artificial flavors.” It’s advisable for consumers to make an informed decision under their best judgment through additional research.

• Mug Root Beer (Original): carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, sodium benzoate, calcium disodium EDTA, citric acid, modified food starch, quillaia extract
• Diet Mug Root Beer: carbonated water, caramel color, sodium benzoate, aspartame, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, modified food starch, calcium disodium EDTA, quillaia extract.
• Mug Cream Soda: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate, citric acid and caramel color.
• Diet Mug Cream Soda: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavor, sodium benzoate, citric acid, caramel color, calcium disodium EDTA.

Nutritional Information in Mug Root Beer

Soft drinks are usually very high in sugar and not recommended as part of your daily diet. Mug Root Beer is not a significant source of the required daily vitamin, mineral and nutritional intake.