What, precisely, is an "ingredient"? Hops, after all, are not a chemical element -- or even a single chemical compound. Do two varieties of maize constitute two separate ingredients?

A fair point, but Stella Artois appear to have already decided what an ingredient is, in that they've named them all. If it had just said "barley", fair enough. But saying "malted barley" makes it clear that they have added malt to the barley. They have failed to correctly count the ingredients they themselves have listed on their poster. I mean, why not cut it down to three ingredients by saying "diluted maize"?

Now I come to think of it, Diet Coke actually only has one ingredient: flavoured carbonated water.

Malting is what is done to the barley it is partially germinated to achieve the malt taste in malt houses.

Ah, I see. So the answer to "Is there some brewing-industry technicality that means that that isn't five ingredients?" is "Yes."

Thanks very much.

Anyone else note the blinding obvious omission: yeast..?

They had to leave out yeast because they add maize. Yuck. Almost as bad as American Bud, which uses rice.

Real beer is hops, barley, yeast and water.

Single-malt whiskey is the same, without the hops. Therefore better, obviously.

"Ah, I see. So the answer to "Is there some brewing-industry technicality that means that that isn't five ingredients?" is "Yes.""

Indeed, malting is a process, not an ingredient.

Like "cooked beef" is still only one ingredient.

If there were an ingredient called "cook", I'd probably get confused about that one, too.

What Stephen said.

Why are they putting maize into it?

Ghastly pap.