Our alcoholic uncle always swore that booze was healthy, and if the Treasury Department has its way, nutrition labels on alcoholic beverages may soon have people thinking he was right. A rule issued last week by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau would require all alcoholic beverages to sport a panel listing traditional information like serving size and alcohol content, along with data on calorie, carbohydrate, fat, and protein content. The alcoholic beverage industry vigorously supports the rule, but some advocacy organizations are concerned that the nutrition labels might imply that alcoholic beverages have some nutritional value. Tell us what you think of the proposed rule in our poll, after the jump.
Nutrition Labels Proposed for Alcohol [NYT]
27 CFR Parts 4, 5, 7, and 24 [Notice No. 73; Ref: Notice No. 41] Labeling and Advertising of Wines, Distilled Spirits and Malt Beverages; Proposed Rule (PDF) [Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau]
(Photo: Irish Typepad)
More From Consumerist
-
Group Calls For Limits On Sugar In Soft Drinks
-
Perhaps You Would Like To Dress As A Sexy Banned Boozy Beverage For Halloween
-
Sorry, Massachusetts: Looks Like You’re Not Getting Happy Hour Anytime Soon
-
As Economy Recovers, Americans Are Drinking More Alcohol
-
5-Hour Energy Cited In Reports Of 13 Deaths
@Chicago7: @kingKonqueror: A consumer can’t make informed choices without having INFORMATION readily available.
@tinychicken: ahhh, i love the service industry. respond to assholes by being an asshole, setting off an avalanche of assholery that never ends! no wonder servers are so bitter.
i would appreciate calorie labeling on alcohol, but i do worry that it might further encourage the all-too-common (& not to mention dangerous) “skip dinner–and maybe even lunch and breakfast!–so you can drink” attitude.
If a product is produced to be eaten or drank, it should have an ingredients list and nutritional information.
Wine is healthier than beer. Yet, law prohibits companies that sell alcohol from advertising it’s potential health benefits.
I would hate to think that just because something has a nutrition label
on it that the avergage person would think it’s healthy….but then
again we live in America.
I’m for the labels. Hopefully it deters people from drinking and
drinking and getting beer bellies. Beer has just as many calories as
regular soda.
Even though I think there would be a good service being provided with nutrition labels on alcohol, it would just be taken out of hand. The way the trend is going bars, lounges and restaurants will soon be required to list all alcoholic nutrition information on their cocktails which couldnt always be accurate(and WAYYYYY too much of a hastle)
Anything that helps consumers make well informed choices on what they buy/eat/drink.
Oh, and I don’t buy that people are going to somehow start using alcohol as a diet option because they label how many calories are on it: “OMG It has a label with information, it’s healthy!”.
Everything has calories. And as a Weight Watchin’ person, I’d like to know exactly how many calories a thing has. Twinkies have a Nutrition Label on it too, but no one thinks they have any actual nutrition in them!
i don’t think it should be required… but for folks on a diet, it might be handy. not that booze makes for a good diet supplement – unless of course it makes up your 3 major meals of the day. LOL
@tinychicken: Somehow, I don’t think that’s legal.
To be honest, I’m baffled that the alcohol industry supports this. With nutrition information listed, people may be forced to consider how the calories in booze affect their overall intake. I think this will encourage people to drink LESS, not MORE.
The cited article is bunk: it claims the industry is behind it but quotes someone from Smirnoff and individuals in the craft beer industry (the latter of which are somewhat opposed).
You know who they don’t ask? Large American brewers, i.e. Coors and Budweiser, who wants you to know as little as possible about their beer aside from the fact that it gets you drunk.
All that said: I’m all for it.
@Christovir: I’d LOVE to see ingredients more than anything else myself, but never will. Budweiser would sooner fold than let you know what’s in it.
@jaredharley: The generalization that the industry is for it belies the truth. Diageo, a company which sells liquor and beer and has long pushed the “drink is a drink” ideology (for taxation and marketing purposes mainly), is squarely behind this. Brewers, for the most part, are definitely not.
See here: [www.beertown.org]
As for everyone on the “beer is unhealthy” train … well, studies show it’s not any less healthful than wine and may be significantly more healthful (many more vitamins, antioxidants, etc.). Of course, none of that can be listed or used as a selling tactic (see Bert Grant’s attempt and the resultant clash with the ATF mentioned here: [seattlepi.nwsource.com]).
@krylonultraflat: Actually, Budweiser’s pretty upfront about what it puts in its beer.
[www.davisgrad.com]
By my count, they’re only leaving off yeast and water and, if you really wanted, whatever leeches from the beechwood they ‘age’ the beer on. Besides the rice, that’d be the ingredients on most beers’ labels (nothing in the TTB’s proposal seems to require distinction between Amarillo vs. Centennial hops or black patent vs. Crystal 60 malt).
@Buran: Somehow I don’t think they care. Many things that take place in the service industry aren’t legal. Try complaining. See where it gets you. 3 pushes of the AUC button, most likely and that’s about it.
about time. There’s no reason alcohol should be an exception to the rule, even bottled water has nutritional value charts.. besides, this will put to rest the truth about if jagermeister has deer blood in it or not.. lol
Really People, I work at a state controlled liquor store and no one, and i mean no one who buys on a regular or semi-regular basis gives a hoot.
What this is going to do is give more government control over a over controlled industry. Whats to say in a year with this health consensus rage that they won’t ban alcoholic beverages unless they are “healthy” and such.
Its all sugar and water. Has been for 10k yerars.
Candy bars have nutritional values on the label, and you’d be hard pressed to call them “nutritious”.
It only makes common sense that ANYTHING intended to be consumed should have nutrition labels on them.
This isn’t about alcohol encouraging consumption, it’s about the publics’ right to know what they are consuming.
My God! This is so beyond me!!! I can’t believe how stupid american people can be… What would we do without our government telling us what is right and what is wrong?
This is just so sad. If anybody has ever traveled outside of this country, it is obvious that such rules indicate once more that the US has no soul. It’s a bunch of little robots following the directions of Uncle Sam. Go ahead, just put some labels on the damn bottles, and carry your calculator around as you count how many calories you are allowed. And guess what, you will just have as many fat people as you do now…
Good luck with this…