Food alcohol is used for vodka, liqueurs, special wines and other alcoholic beverages production. It can be produced from sugar and starch containing food raw material. 

Nowadays major part of food alcohol is produced from such crops as:

• Wheat
  - Starch content varies.
  - High viscosity due to the pentosans.
  - Requires additional enzymes.
  - May require the use of defoamer.
• Rye
  - Cheap, but less yield.
  - Very high viscosity due to members of the pentosans.
  - Requires additional enzymes (xylanase).
  - Requires use of defoamer.
• Corn
  - The most common source of starch.
  - Ideal raw where it is easy to grow.

The process with different feed stock usage differs only on the first stage of alcohol production (mash preparation). In case of starch containing raw material usage, fermentative hydrolysis of starch for fermented simple sugars  is carried out (starch saccharification). Starch is complex polysaccharide and it should be liquefied beforehand.

It is necessary to take into account feed stock availability as well as possibility to provide it for continuous operation of the plant. Raw material determine the final alcohol quantity as 10 kg sugar gives 5.5 l of alcohol, wheat gives 3 l, sugar beet and fruits – less than 1 l.