In a newly released proposal, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand want to see the calorie/kilojoule count for most beers, wines and spirits put on the label.
FSANZ's Glean Neal said the proposal has been floating around for more than 10 years, but there’s now a real push to change things.
“This is about better-informed consumers, so they can make better choices.”
Research from the government agency shows that most people in Australia and New Zealand have a warped perspective on how unhealthy some types of alcoholic drinks can be.
A study found most consumers mistakenly think wine and spirits are always a healthier choice. (Source: 1News)
A consolidation of 38 studies found that less than one in five consumers were able to correctly estimate the number of calories in a drink.
Most also overestimated the calories in beer, mistakenly thinking wine and spirits were always a healthier choice.
Auckland University health and nutrition researcher Leanne Young said it’s not just an issue at liquor stores.
“When you're poured a glass of wine in a restaurant or wherever, you usually get poured 1.5 standard drinks so it's very easy for those calories to mount up quite quickly," she told Breakfast.
She warned that it’d take a while for people to understand what they were reading.
“If this was to come into regulation, there would need to be an education campaign that would go alongside it that would reach all population groups to inform them of what the energy labelling means.”
The proposal has been welcomed by the Brewers Association of New Zealand, along with several spirits manufacturers 1News has spoken to.
However, some have voiced concerns over the cost of another label change, as many work to introduce a pregnancy warning by 2023.
The public will be able to have their say from September, with a final decision due in June next year.
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