The trade organisation representing the European brewing sector has committed to “a major voluntary move” to list ingredients and nutritional information relating to their products.
Members of The Brewers of Europe will provide the information per 100ml of alcohol, in line with the legal requirements for non-alcoholic beverages.
The decision was revealed little more than a week after Diageo decided to publish voluntary alcohol content and nutritional information on its entire portfolio of products in Europe, adding that the current framework for non-alcoholic beverages such as alcohol-free beer did not offer enough clarity to the consumer.
The Brewers of Europe secretary general Pierre-Olivier Bergeron said: “Brewers are immensely proud of the beers they brew and the ingredients used to produce them. We want Europe’s consumers to know the ingredients in beer and how these beers can fit within a balanced lifestyle. Brewers already label the alcohol content on their beer brands but we also agree with consumer groups that citizens would benefit from having access to the ingredients and nutrition information, allowing them to compare like-for-like facts with all the other beverages available to them, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic.
“When it comes to ingredients and nutrition, our overall aim is that we wish to have well-informed consumers. Fulfilling this wish also means going beyond labelling the products to utilising new technologies that allow consumers to consult the detailed, tailored information that meets their needs. In the last five years, not only the usage of these new technologies, but also their capacity to provide accessible information, has grown exponentially.
“Europe’s brewers have been working on this commitment for many months and will work from today onwards in strengthening consumer knowledge of beer’s ingredients, nutritional content and place within a balanced lifestyle. We really hope that the other alcoholic drinks sectors will follow our lead and commitment to transparency in this endeavour.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024