Diageo Ireland country director Oliver Loomes
Guinness cans in Ireland will give consumers on-label alcohol and nutritional content, with Diageo set to roll out the initiative across its range.
The new labels, designed to help consumers understand what’s in their beverage, contain information on calories, carbohydrates, protein and sugar, as well as grams of alcohol per serving.
All 500ml Guinness can labels will contain warnings on drink driving and consuming alcohol during pregnancy.
Guinness owner Diageo trailed the initiative last year with Smithwick’s beer after carrying out research on more than 1,500 consumers around the world to find out what they wanted on labels.
The company, which owns brands such as Gordon’s Gin, Captain Morgan and Smirnoff, now aims to introduce the new labels on its entire range in Ireland during the next year.
Diageo Ireland country director Oliver Loomes said: “Irish consumers want to make informed choices and increasingly they want to know what’s in their glass. At Diageo, we take enormous pride in our ability to listen to our consumers and bring them the great products they enjoy with the clear, concise and accurate information they can use to make the right choice for them.
“The new Guinness labels are part of our ongoing commitment to engaging with and empowering Diageo consumers so they have the tools to make positive and informed choices about what they drink.
“While this is a global standard and will eventually feature across all brands in all markets, the decision to expand to Guinness 500ml cans means that almost 40% of the Irish beer market will be covered by the new labelling standard, making Ireland a market leader in this regard.”
The Diageo consumer research found that as well as good design, which is key to how information is found and understood, consumers preferred information on alcohol per serving, calories per serving, sugar content, allergens and brand facts.
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