Australia, New Zealand advance plans for new labelling standards on alcoholic beverages

AUSTRALIA – The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is making progress toward the introduction of new labelling standards for alcoholic beverages in both countries, with growing industry support for the proposals.  

The new labelling requirements aim to provide consumers with clearer information on the contents of alcoholic beverages, including carbohydrate, sugar, and energy values. 

This initiative is part of a broader movement to enhance food and beverage transparency in response to growing public health concerns and the increasing demand for better ingredient information.  

As consumers become more health-conscious, transparent labelling is viewed as an essential tool for making informed purchasing decisions. 

According to GlobalData, 71 percent of Australian consumers consider calorie and cholesterol information important when choosing food and drink products.  

Kakarlapudi Karthik Varma, a consumer analyst at GlobalData, noted that consumers are showing a preference for low-calorie alcoholic beverages due to rising health concerns. 

“FSANZ’s proposals reflect a growing trend toward health-conscious consumerism. These changes are expected to not only benefit consumers but also enhance the relationship between manufacturers and their customers through improved transparency and trust,” said Varma. 

The New Zealand Food and Grocery Council (NZFGC) has expressed support for including labelling on alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of more than 1.15% ABV.  

This measure would ensure accurate information on sugar and carbohydrate content is available, providing greater transparency to consumers. 

Both the NZFGC and The George Institute Australia are advocating for an “energy information panel” instead of a “nutrition information panel” to declare the energy content of alcoholic beverages, recommending that energy content be presented per 100ml.  

They also discourage the use of the terms “serve” and “serving” on alcohol packages to prevent the creation of a “health halo” effect around alcoholic products. 

As international interest in clearer labelling grows, Ireland has also proposed additional labelling information for alcoholic beverages, including grams of alcohol and the number of calories per serving. 

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