In the food industry, the brewery sector holds a strategic economic position with the annual world beer production exceeding 1.34 billion hectolitres in 2002. Beer is the fifth most consumed beverage in the world behind tea, carbonates, milk and coffee and it continues to be a popular drink with an average consumption of 23 liters/person per year. The effluent discharge by breweries is recognized as a significant environmental problem because of the considerable organic load created by the brewery processes.