Brussels | Reuters — European beer, wine and spirits makers should inform consumers about the amount of calories in their drinks via clear labelling, EU lawmakers said Wednesday.
Most foods and drinks are subject to legislation mandating labels with nutritional and ingredient information, but alcoholic drinks are exempt.
The European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution calling on the European Commission, which typically initiates EU law, to prepare new legislation by next year at the latest that would extend such labelling to alcohol.
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Firms already have to signal clearly the alcohol level of their beverages and the Commission says it is preparing a report on how calories might also be labelled, although there is no clear date for adoption of this report.
European consumers’ organization BEUC said that, with Europe facing an obesity crisis, calorie content labelling for alcohol was a necessity.
“When people think of calorific drinks, softs drinks spring to mind. But a single large glass of wine contains as many calories as a chocolate bar,” BEUC director general Monique Goyens said in a statement.
“The paradox of alcohol being exempt from calorie and ingredient labelling that is mandatory for soft drinks is unjustifiable.”
— Reporting for Reuters by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels.
