The government is set to unveil new rules about health warnings on bottles of wine, beer and spirits later today.
The mandatory cigarette-style warnings, which would include details of how many units a bottle contained, would appear on all alcoholic drinks for sale in shops and supermarkets.
The labels would contain five pieces of information, including a general health warning about alcohol and a reminder to drink responsibly. They would list the recommended safe daily alcohol consumption limits for men and women, exactly how many units were in the bottle and would display the logo of the charity Drinkaware.
Figures have also suggested that about 10 million people in England are risking their health by drinking more than the recommended maximum amount — which is two to three units a day for women, (about one large glass of wine) and three to four for men (two pints of beer).
Today’s consultation document will say brewers and distillers must publish health information on all bottles and cans of wine, beer and spirits.
The document will outline three options: that drinks firms voluntarily comply and print the warnings; that they be forced to do so by the Portman Group, the industry’s regulator; or that they will be forced to do so by law.
Last night, Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, said: “We have now received assurances to comply from most of the major manufacturers and retailers. I invite the industry as a whole to deliver on these assurances.”
However, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has disagreed that labelling such as this should be mandatory.
It said 91% of beer cans and bottles contain unit information, 75% have a responsibility message and 82% have the Drinkaware logo.
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BPPA, said: “The positive and continuing progress made, not only shows the merits of the voluntary approach, but demonstrates why Government should continue to back the voluntary approach as the best way of achieving their objective of better information for consumers.”
