Gadolinium discovered in local ale?

In a groundbreaking research project conducted between November 2024 and April 2025, scientists discovered traces of gadolinium, a rare earth element (REE), in numerous beers and sugar-rich drinks. The study, led by Aéla Bordeneuve-Pérès, PhD, of the University of Brest in France, and published in Food Chemistry on August 21, included 30 beers from 25 European countries, 4 Asian countries, and 1 from Peru, as well as two sugar drinks - Red Bull original and Fuze Tea peach.

The beer brands tested were from Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken N.V., and the study found that all beers, except for Sagres, brewed near Lisbon, southwest Portugal, showed an anomaly in gadolinium (Gd). While the contamination of Gd in all beers did not tend to exceed 5 pg/g, Sagres showed an excess of Gd of the order of 30 pg/g.

The presence of Gd in industrially-produced beverages is a concern, as gadolinium is a metallic element used in a range of industrial applications, medical purposes, and MRI contrast agents. Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are voided through the kidneys, potentially ending up in waste waters and natural water sources. Traces of gadolinium are commonly detected in rivers, aquifers, coastal waters, and tap water in densely populated countries with significant medical activity. Some gadolinium excesses are detected in beverages derived from tap water, such as sodas served in German fast-food restaurants.

The Tagus River in the Iberian Peninsula is known to have Gd-contamination, and it is suspected that Sagres beer is likely brewed using water from this river. Other beers showing marked positive anomalies in Gd included Asahi SD beer (Tokyo), La Chouffe (Belgium), and Pelforth (Northern France), but the excesses of Gd producing them were lower (1 pg/g).

The study concluded that beer and other industrial drinks show varying degrees of Gd contamination, and this contamination, although relatively minor, should not be neglected. More research is needed to assess how this pollution may evolve over time. Gadolinium pollution from MR imaging is one of the best-documented types of REE pollution.

Rare earth elements include cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium, and yttrium. The magnitude of the occurrence of REEs in food and beverages remains unclear, and further studies are required to understand the long-term effects of this contamination on human health.