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Calorie labelling must not put producers at disadvantage
Any measures regarding calorie labelling on alcoholic beverages must not put UK producers at a competitive disadvantage, industry watchdog the Portman Group has warned.
The UK government will consider making calorie information mandatory for alcoholic beverages
Earlier this week, the UK government revealed plans to launch a consultation into whether alcoholic beverages should provide calorie information to tackle obesity.
On-trade venues could also be forced to list ‘hidden liquid calories’ on menus in a bid to encourage consumers to make healthier choices when ordering.
While some trade bodies have welcomed the initiative, others have warned it could have a detrimental impact on businesses trying to stay afloat as the world deals with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
John Timothy, CEO of the Portman Group Executive, said: “We support efforts to provide consumers with more information about their purchases and are committed to working with the government to ensure that these proposals align with much of the voluntary work already taking place.
“Many producers have already committed to provide nutrition and calorie information on-pack and online by 2022.
“While we support measures to help tackle obesity, it is important that any new labelling regime takes into account all up-to-date and relevant data and does not place the UK producers at a competitive disadvantage.”