Choice magazine has launched a campaign to make kilojoule labelling on alcohol mandatory.
The consumer watchdog says “a legal loophole means alcohol companies can hide nutritional information from you”.
It notes: Given the number of kilojoules in alcohol and the amount of alcohol Australians consume (not just at Christmas, but year-round), it’s of real concern that we’re not privy to this information.
“Kilojoule labelling could help you make healthier choices, but right now it’s a total guessing game.”
Choice spokesperson Katinka Day said many people enjoy a festive drink at Christmas but can’t easily compare the kilojoule options.
“While consumers can find out the amount of kilojoules they’ll be consuming if they bite into a hamburger or a packet of chocolate biscuits, a loophole in Australia’s food regulation means that alcohol companies are exempt from providing this information,” she said.
“It doesn’t make sense that there’s one rule for a can of coke and another for a premix can of coke and whiskey.”
Health Ministers have announced that a public consultation regarding the issue will be held in 2018.
“Our current labelling means that consumers can’t make side-by-side comparisons of alcoholic beverages and we can’t rely on alcohol companies fixing this themselves,” Day added.
“While some alcohol companies voluntarily provide nutrition information, on closer look, they pull the sneaky tactic of not disclosing kilojoules on all of their products, especially their high kilojoule options.”
Alcohol Beverages Australia Executive Director Fergus Taylor said customers knew they could drink moderately as part of a healthy diet. He added that kilojoule labelling was available online for consumers requiring it.
A spokesman for Lion Corporation said the most important consumer information was the alcohol content. “We began providing nutritional information on beer labels a few years ago because we were seeing a lot of myths about beer in the market,” he said. “We’re considering the options on the rest of our portfolio.”