Fermenting grains, vegetables or fruits that contain sugar produces all vinegars. Malt vinegar comes from barley or any cereal that produces maltose, a complex sugar, according to the Vinegar Institute. The introduction of yeast to a combination of barley and water is the beginning of the process for making malt vinegar. When the process has finished, the resulting vinegar has trace amounts of the nutrients from the barley, but not enough to meet the minimum amount for federal food labeling laws.
Composition
Malt vinegar is mostly water, by percentage. The vinegar making process requires the addition of yeast, which dissolves after creating the chemical reaction that produces the maltose. All vinegars also contain acetic acid, which gives them their tart flavor. Neither the yeast nor the acetic acid contributes significantly to malt vinegar's nutritional profile.
Calories
The serving size for malt vinegar is 1 tsp. This serving only contains 3 calories, according to Food.com. Depending on the manufacturer, the food nutrition label may not list these calories because the FDA's food labeling laws do not require details for amounts below 5 calories. In many cases, the actual use of malt vinegar might require a teaspoon or more for recipes such as salad dressings. Even if your brand does not list the exact amount of calories, you can estimate that each tablespoon contains approximately 10 calories.
Nutrient Profile
The main nutrient in malt vinegar is 10 mg of potassium per 1 tsp. serving, a trace amount. The carbohydrate content is 0.1 g per serving. Malt vinegar contains no fat, cholesterol, fiber or sugar. Some brands add sodium during processing. Livestrong's My Plate shows that the malt vinegar served by the Long John Silver restaurants contains 15 mg per serving, a packet containing 0.28 oz or approximately 1 tsp. Other malt vinegar producers will provide complete nutrient content information, based on their recipe, in accordance with federal food labeling laws.
Daily Values
Malt vinegar is a flavorful addition to salad dressings and a low-calorie condiment that is useful for seasoning foods, but it does not provide any significant amount of nutrients. The potassium and carbohydrate content of malt vinegar are both below five percent of the daily value for 2,000-calorie adult diet. Any food that provides 5 percent or less of a nutrient is not good source of that nutrient, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
References
- The Vinegar Institute: Frequently Asked Questions
- Food.com: Malt Vinegar
- Livestrong.com: My Plate, Long John Silver's Malt Vinegar Nutrition
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Guidance for Industry: A Food Labeling Guide; July 2011
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label; March 2011
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