European Spirit-Makers Agree To Calorie Content Labels

Europe’s spirit-makers recently announced plans to list the number of calories and ingredients in spirit drinks, as businesses and regulators step up efforts to cater to healthier lifestyles.

Alcoholic beverages have been exempt from EU labelling rules that are in force for all other food and drinks.

The European Commission has, however, called on the sector to come up with a plan to regulate itself amid general interest for healthier eating and drinking habits.

The MoU has a timetable calling for one in four bottles placed on the EU market to include on-label energy information by the end of 2020. That is then set to rise to 50% and 66% by the end of 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The signatories will work with the Commission to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the initial framework, with two meetings planned per year to review progress made.

ESM