The European Union has very strict regulations regarding the information that alcoholic beverages must show to protect the health of consumers and ensure greater transparency in the market. Here we describe the information required by European Union legislation on alcoholic beverages.
Nutritional information and list of ingredients
As indicated by the new European Regulation, in order to provide consumers with a higher level of information (Article 119 of Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013) labels must include nutritional information and a list of ingredients. This includes the amount of energy, fats, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, and salt in the drink. Additional information about vitamins and minerals may also be included.
This measure aims to help consumers make more informed decisions about their diet and avoid excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Health warnings
Since 13 December 2014, all alcoholic beverages sold in the European Union must display health warnings on their labels which aim to raise consumers’ awareness of the risks of alcohol abuse and promote responsible consumption.
These warnings should include the amount of alcohol in the drink, along with messages that warn of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, such as: “Alcohol abuse is harmful to health”.
Allergies and intolerances
The New Regulation does not replace the previous regulation in this field.
<<However, the option not to provide full nutritional information on the package or on a label subject to it should not affect the existing requirement to list on the label substances that cause allergies or intolerances. >>
This means that even if digital labeling is chosen, allergies and intolerances must be present on the physical label.
<<substances or products that may cause allergies or intolerances and the terms to be used to indicate them on the label of foodstuffs are those listed in Annex II of the said Regulation. >> Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011
Not only is presence mandatory, but it must also be displayed in multiple languages.
<<Wine products produced in the Union are exported to third countries. In order to ensure that consumers in these countries understand the information related to the product they are buying, it should be possible to have the label translated into the languages of the importing country>>>>. DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2019/ 33
Origin and content
From 1 January 2019, all alcoholic beverages sold in the European Union must display information about their origin and content on their labels, with the aim of ensuring transparency in the market and protecting consumers against food fraud.
This includes information on the region of production, the country of origin and the variety of grapes used in the case of wines.
In conclusion, the European Union has very strict regulations regarding the information that alcoholic beverages must show on their labels. This information includes nutritional information, health warnings, information on allergies and intolerances, origin, and content. These measures aim to protect consumer health, promote responsible consumption and ensure market transparency.