Groups Rip Watered Down Alcohol Labels
April 22, 2008 -- Health and consumer groups Tuesday called on the government to require alcoholic beverages to carry nutrition labeling similar to what foods and other drinks must carry.
The call comes as federal regulators are mulling a 30-year-old request to require beer, wine, and liquor labels to inform consumers about alcohol content, calories, and carbohydrate content.
Many alcoholic beverages carry government warnings concerning the dangers of drinking while pregnant. Some list calories on packaging on a voluntary basis.
"It's not standardized; it's something consumers have to look for," said Christopher Waldrop, director of the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute. "The only consumer product which lacks a label is alcoholic beverages."
Last July, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposed listing calories and nutrients on drink labels. But the agency avoided requiring companies to list the amount of alcohol in the container.
U.S. dietary guidelines urge men not to exceed two "standard drinks" per day and women not to exceed one. But health groups said regulators' proposed label doesn't display a "standard drink" size to help consumers meet recommended daily alcohol intake.
A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each of those drinks contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol.
"A pint of beer is more than a standard drink," said J.T. Griffin, MD, a past president of the National Medical Association, a group of African-American and other minority physicians.
TTB spokesman Art Resnick told WebMD that the agency is reviewing thousands of comments made on the proposed rule. He would not predict when the regulators would issue final regulations governing alcohol labels.
"It's not without controversy, and it is incumbent on us to look at all the competing interests here," he said.
The TTB first began considering nutrition labeling for alcoholic beverages in the 1970s, but regulations were never finalized as presidents came and left the White House.
On Tuesday, groups said giving consumers more information about standard drink sizes and alcohol content would help prevent overconsumption and protect public health. But Resnick said the TTB, which is part of the U.S. Treasury Department, only requires that alcohol labels are "accurate, truthful, and not misleading."
"We don't have a public health mandate," he said.
The Distilled Spirits Council, an industry trade group, issued a statement supporting stricter labeling for alcoholic beverages.
"Knowing how much alcohol is in a serving of beer, wine, or spirits and how that alcohol content relates to a standard drink helps consumers make responsible drinking decisions," Peter H. Cressy, the group's president, said in the statement.
Groups Rip Watered-Down Alcohol Labels
Alcohol Content, Calories, Carbs Often Missing, Argue Groups Pushing for Standardized Labels
April 22, 2008 -- Health and consumer groups Tuesday called on the government to require alcoholic beverages to carry nutrition labeling similar to what foods and other drinks must carry.
The call comes as federal regulators are mulling a 30-year-old request to require beer, wine, and liquor labels to inform consumers about alcohol content, calories, and carbohydrate content.
Many alcoholic beverages carry government warnings concerning the dangers of drinking while pregnant. Some list calories on packaging on a voluntary basis.
"It's not standardized; it's something consumers have to look for," said Christopher Waldrop, director of the Consumer Federation of America's Food Policy Institute. "The only consumer product which lacks a label is alcoholic beverages."
Last July, the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposed listing calories and nutrients on drink labels. But the agency avoided requiring companies to list the amount of alcohol in the container.
A 'Standard Drink'
U.S. dietary guidelines urge men not to exceed two "standard drinks" per day and women not to exceed one. But health groups said regulators' proposed label doesn't display a "standard drink" size to help consumers meet recommended daily alcohol intake.
A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each of those drinks contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol.
"A pint of beer is more than a standard drink," said J.T. Griffin, MD, a past president of the National Medical Association, a group of African-American and other minority physicians.
TTB spokesman Art Resnick told WebMD that the agency is reviewing thousands of comments made on the proposed rule. He would not predict when the regulators would issue final regulations governing alcohol labels.
"It's not without controversy, and it is incumbent on us to look at all the competing interests here," he said.
No 'Public Health Mandate'
The TTB first began considering nutrition labeling for alcoholic beverages in the 1970s, but regulations were never finalized as presidents came and left the White House.
On Tuesday, groups said giving consumers more information about standard drink sizes and alcohol content would help prevent overconsumption and protect public health. But Resnick said the TTB, which is part of the U.S. Treasury Department, only requires that alcohol labels are "accurate, truthful, and not misleading."
"We don't have a public health mandate," he said.
The Distilled Spirits Council, an industry trade group, issued a statement supporting stricter labeling for alcoholic beverages.
"Knowing how much alcohol is in a serving of beer, wine, or spirits and how that alcohol content relates to a standard drink helps consumers make responsible drinking decisions," Peter H. Cressy, the group's president, said in the statement.
Source...