More than two thirds of people surveyed by the Royal Society for Public Health want to see calorie counts on beer, wine and spirits, according to a new study.
Calories in wine labelling to be introduced on all own-brand drinks by Sainsbury’s
The Royal Society said today (31 October) that it asked 2,117 adults for their views and found 67% ‘actively support’ calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks.
It added that 80% of people surveyed couldn’t accurately estimate the calories in a large glass of wine.
Its announcement is designed to put pressure on both the UK Government and the European Commission to include alcohol within current labelling rules for food, which state that calorie counts must be shown on packs.
‘Calorie labelling has been successfully introduced for a wide range of food products and there is now a clear public appetite for this information to be extended to alcohol to help individuals make informed choices,’ said Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health.
UK health minister Jane Ellison has previously said that calorie labelling is a ‘key way the industry can help support responsible drinking’.
But, the government has remained committed to its public health responsibility deals, which encourage voluntary action by drinks makers.
Earlier this year, the UK’s Sainsbury’s supermarket told Decanter.com that it would put calorie counts on all of its own-brand alcoholic drinks within two years.
Written by Chris Mercer
