‘Make labelling on alcohol products a legal requirement’

Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) is calling on the UK government to make it a legal requirement for alcohol companies to display nutritional information and health warnings on products.

Following the current UK law, drinks with alcohol only display volume, strength and common allergens.

“Alcohol’s continued exemption to the rules and standards followed by the rest of the food and drinks industry is detrimental to our health,” AHA chairman Professor Sir Ian Gilmore said.

“Alcohol is not only a risk factor for cancer but it’s fueling obesity – with some alcoholic drinks containing more calories than a Mars bar and others containing more than double your recommended daily sugar intake.”

The findings by the AHA highlight that only 5 percent of products displayed full nutritional information, 6 percent of products showed sugar content and 41 percent the calories on the drinks. 

Regarding health labels, only one of every 33 products analyzed included a general health warning. A total of 10 percent of the daily calorie intake of British adults comes from alcohol, the study flags.

The AHA examined 369 alcohol product labels across the UK. The study was carried out in large and small supermarkets and included beer, cider, red wine, white wine, sparkling wine/prosecco, ready-to-drink beverages (RTDs), spirits and liqueurs.

Currently, in the UK, alcoholic drinks are only required  to display their alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) and common allergens on labels.

Information on nutritional values, including calories and sugar content, ingredients and health warnings are not required.

According to the survey, 65 percent of products included the up-to-date chief medical officer’s drinking guidelines, with 29 percent not displaying any guidelines and 6percent showing old or foreign guidance.

 “Given the choice, most alcohol producers are leaving this vital information off the labels, keeping consumers in the dark about what’s in the products they are drinking,” he added.

 “Those who profit from the sale of alcohol cannot be trusted to willingly provide product information. Legislation on alcohol labelling must ensure that consumers have the full picture of the contents and risk to health of the products they buy through the government making clear labelling on all alcohol products a legal requirement.”