Kvass: A Possible Contributor to Chronic Alcoholism in the Former Soviet Union—Alcohol Content Should Be Indicated on Labels and in Advertising (2024)

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Kvass (spelled also as kvas) is a traditional Russian beverage typically produced from rye or dried rye bread by natural fermentation. Kvass has been very popular in Russia and the former Soviet Union; consumption has increased due to massive advertising stressing its benefits for health. In the popular newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda (of June 4–11, 2009) was published an open letter by Alexey Kochetkov, the president of Ochakovo company, which is the major manufacturer of kvass, beer and in the recent past also of the sparkling wine Sovetskoye Shampanskoye (Soviet Champagne). The open letter contained the following phrase (verbatim from Russian): “We are responsible for the health of the Nation and for the health of our children; therefore our duty is to produce natural kvass—a genuinely Russian beverage”. Frequent are also statements like “Folk medicine used kvass for treatment of many diseases” or “At last our industry comes back to Russian traditions and develops healthy products such as kvass” (http://stav.kp.ru/daily/00000/495135/). Kvass is usually sold unfiltered and contains yeast; therefore, the alcohol content is difficult to standardize. Usually, kvass contains not more than 1.5% of alcohol by volume, but if it stands for longer time, the concentration can become 2.5% or higher. Unlike beer, the kvass is generally considered to be a nonalcoholic beverage and is drunk by children of all ages without any limit. The author of this letter (now 53 years old) clearly remembers drinking plenty of kvass in childhood (it was very cheap—3 kopeks for a 250mL glass), often experiencing signs of alcohol intoxication after that. It is known that the key time frame for the development, and prevention, of alcoholism lies in adolescence and young adulthood (Enoch, 2006). It may be that massive kvass consumption has contributed to the high prevalence of alcoholism in the former Soviet Union. Moreover, pregnant women, drivers and other contingents, not supposed to consume alcohol, drink the kvass as well. Commercial bottled kvass, especially its cheaper varieties, is produced from prefabricated ingredients, but contains alcohol nonetheless. Noticeably, the labels of the bottled and canned kvass sometimes bear no information on the alcohol content. Some other mildly alcoholic beverages in Russia and the former Soviet Union (tahn, kumys kefir) are sold without indication of the alcohol contents on the label. A traditional Armenian dairy product tahn, produced also in Russia, contains alcohol in contrast to its Turkish equivalent ayran.

In conclusion, it should be recommended that the labels and advertising of mildly alcoholic beverages must include information about the alcohol content and a recommendation that children and abstinent alcoholics should avoid drinking them.

Editor's Comment: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Kvass quotes newspaper reports showing that the multinational drinks companies, Coca Cola and Pepsi, are now marketing Kvass in Russia.

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