The likes of Bloomberg News and Fox News say that plaintiffs from Pennsylvania, California and other states, are claiming that beers such as Budweiser and Michelob have been diluted to save the brewer money. The lawsuits are said to be based on information from former employees at the company's 13 US breweries, some in high-level plant positions.
The claimants, said to be regular beer drinkers, say water is added just before bottling and cuts the stated alcohol content by 3 percent to 8 percent.
Anheuser-Busch InBev has refuted the claims as “groundless”.
The company has been in a near constant battle with Czech brewer Budweiser Budvar over ownership of the Budweiser name.
Tony Jennings CEO of Budweiser Budvar UK quipped: "To me this sounds like a continuation of the horse meat business here in Europe. It reflects a dramatic decline in trust between the consumer and the producer. Fortunately for us at Budvar being small, local and traditional that trust doesn't get challenged."
