LGA calls for compulsory drinks calorie labelling

Alcoholic drinks manufacturers should include calorie information on all bottles and cans in order to help tackle the UK’s obesity “crisis”, the Local Government Association has said.

The UK’s Local Government Association has called on drinks groups to include calorie count information on all bottles and cans

The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils responsible for public health, claims that the “huge number” of calories in alcoholic beverages are not well-known.

Most consumers are more aware of other health risks associated with drinking alcohol such as heart and liver damage and the increased risk of cancer, the association believes.

“Breweries and drinks manufacturers should show leadership in tackling the obesity crisis, by voluntarily providing clear signs on bottles and cans of alcohol,” said councilor Izzi Seccombe, LGA community wellbeing spokesperson.

She continued: “The onus is on the big breweries to do more to provide clear and prominent labelling. Providing people with the right information allows them to make choices about what they eat and drink.”

According to the LGA, calories in alcohol are “empty”, with no nutritional value.

A single spirit at 40% abv contains 61 calories on average, the equivalent of an eighth of a burger. However, drinking five pints of beer at 4% abv over 24 hours is the equivalent to eating more than three burgers.

Research shows two thirds of the public actively supports calorie labels and that 80% of the public didn’t know or incorrectly estimated the calorie content of a large glass of wine, the LGA claims.

“Prevention is the only way we are going to tackle the obesity crisis, which is costing the NHS more than £5 billion every year,” added Seccombe. “It’s all about giving people the right information about the calories they are consuming.

“This saves money for other parts of the public sector by reducing demand for hospital, health and social care services, and improves the public’s health.”

In April 2015, members of European Parliament voted in favour of making calorie content a mandatory feature on the labels of all alcoholic drinks sold across the EU.

One month earlier, the world’s largest drinks group Diageo voluntarily pledged to provide consumers with alcohol content and nutritional information, including calorie content, per typical serve.