UK drinks industry meets labelling pledge

UK drinks companies have succeeded in their pledge to improve health labelling on alcohol products, a new report has confirmed.

According to a new report, the UK drinks industry has met its voluntary labelling pledge made in 2008

In March 2011, trade members agreed a voluntary target for 80% of products on shelf to carry three core information elements: clear unit content, the Chief Medical Officers’ lower risk drinking guidelines and a warning about drinking when pregnant by December 2013.

The pledge was made voluntarily under the Department of Health’s Responsibility Deal.

Research agency Campden BRI recently conducted a report into the efforts, examining a sample of more than 500 products from across national, regional and independent stores, finding a 79.3% compliance with the pledge, narrowly missing its target by 0.7%.

Campden also found that upon comparing labels from 2008, unit information had increased by 46% since the pledge was made and 91% of labels carry warnings about drinking when pregnant, compared to 18% in 2008.

Meanwhile 75% of labels were found to show the Chief Medical Officers’ lower risk daily guidelines, compared to 6% in 2008.

“The industry set itself an ambitious target, which is the first of its kind in Europe, and it is pleasing to see that producers and retailers have delivered on this pledge,” said Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

“The labelling pledge is a good example of the industry’s commitment to delivering meaningful change and promoting a culture of responsible drinking in the UK via voluntary action.”

Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the Portman Group and chair of the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network also described the findings as a “remarkable achievement”.

The news comes just days after the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) made fresh calls for calorie information to be displayed on spirits bottles in order to tackle the impact alcohol has on obesity.