FSANZ proposes food nutrition labels for alcohol drinks
Alcoholic drinks in Australia could soon come with nutrition labels under a proposal announced by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) on Monday.
Up until now, packaged alcoholic beverages have been exempt from providing nutritional information, meaning consumers have had limited information on the sugar and kilojoules they have been consuming.
According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, alcohol is high in energy, providing 29.3 kilojoules per gram.
Twenty-two studies were analysed showing only a small number of consumers could correctly guess the number of kilojoules or calories in a drink using general knowledge, with many believing beer had the highest energy compared to other alcoholic drinks.
Some countries are in the process of developing mandatory requirements for labels to be included on alcoholic beverages.
The proposal to consider these labels in Australia comes after a 2019 request from government ministers for FSANZ to consider the issue.
FSANZ will consult industry this month with regard to the proposal and releasing the proposal for public comment later this year.
The proposal comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended sugar intake be reduced to less than 10 per cent of total daily energy intake or approximately 12 teaspoons (50 grams) of sugar per day for an adult.
Irit Jackson, 4th May 2022
