US regulators want to make it easier for people to know what’s in each of their alcoholic drinks of choice. The Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has announced it is seeking public comment on two proposals aimed at overhauling how nutritional facts are displayed on beer, wine, and liquor packaging by requiring nutrition labels on bottles and cans for the first time ever. That said, the health information may not come in the form of physical labels.
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According to a forthcoming Federal Register notice first reported by the Associated Press on January 16th, the reform is intended to follow the bureau mandate “to ensure that labels provide consumers with adequate information about the identity, quality and alcohol content” of alcoholic drinks. The information would likely be displayed similar to existing nutrition labels, and include the amount of alcohol content, calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein per serving. Sugar content, however, would remain optional to list on labels. A second proposed rule would federally require companies to identify any top allergens such as milk, eggs, shellfish, and nuts.
If approved, the changes would achieve a goal that consumer advocacy groups have spent over two decades pursuing for the $2.5 billion industry.
“The proposals represent a momentous step toward ensuring consumers have access to the information they need to make informed choices, follow health guidelines, and avoid allergic reactions,” the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wrote in a statement published on Thursday. The CSPI also referred to its March 2024 survey, in which 63-77 percent of the over 1,500 Americans polled indicated support for at least some form of mandatory content labels.
While companies may voluntarily disclose nutritional information on the products, many still do not. A 2021 survey of the 150 top US beer and wine brands found that only 28 percent of former and none of the latter featured a full “Serving Facts” label. Just one beer at the time had an “Alcohol Facts” label.
The CSPI first filed a Citizen Petition in support of better nutritional and alcohol content transparency in 2003. In 2022, they sued the Treasury Department for 19 years of alleged inaction on the petition.
If nutrition facts become mandatory, however, they could vary from the traditional paper labels. The AP also noted on Thursday that while some prominent trade groups already said they would support the reforms, they would prefer it to be in the form of digital labels.
“Given the unique nature of winemaking, the most accurate and least burdensome approach to providing nutrition information to consumers would be to allow the option of off-label disclosure via QR code or other electronic means,” said the Wine Institute, with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States echoing similar hopes.
Regardless, it will take some time before nutrition facts—physical or otherwise—are legally required for alcohol. After an open comment period and subsequent review, the new rules would take effect five years from their approval date.
