There were a couple of reason I decided to test Pacifico using the EZ Gluten lateral flow device. First, my results from Corona Extra and Modelo Especial were both negative.^5,4 Second, since Pacifico comes from the same brewer, Groupo Modelo, I was hopeful that it might also be negative.

So, I ran the test. The results were positive for gluten, >10ppm. If I were to make a guess from the strip, i’d estimate maybe it’s 30-60ppm gluten. My results do not match up from a test done in 2016 on Pacifico.¹ I can’t say why it is now positive but if I were to guess there may have been a change in the production method or barley malt sourcing as the culprit. If you haven’t read my article on Papain enzyme being the likely reason Corona (and possibly Modelo) are less than 10ppm gluten, I would reccomend checking that out.²

Also my results summary from a couple months back has some more detailed explanations to why these testing discrepancies have been happening.³ I’ll average it to about 20-30ppm taking into account other result. Will test once more to get a consensus.

References

1. Gluten in Beer Blog’s 2016 Pacifico Test Result
2. Moroni D. It’s All in the Enzymes: Why Corona Extra Has Gluten Levels Below 20ppm. CookingAlDante. March, 2022.
3. Moroni D. EZ Gluten Beer Testing Results / Content Switch to Gluten Reduced Beers. CookingAlDante. March 2022.
4. Moroni D. Modelo Especial Gluten Test Results (-). CookingAlDante. January 2022.
5. Moroni D. Corona Extra Gluten Test Results (-). CookingAlDante. January 2022.