Labels on wine, distilled spirits and malt beverages in the U.S. would be required to list alcohol content and nutritional information per serving, plus notification of potential allergens, under two new rules proposed Thursday by the Treasury Department.
The department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is seeking public content on proposals to require an “alcohol facts” box — similar to nutrition labels on food — that would list alcohol content, calories, carbohydrates, fat and protein per serving. A second rule would require labels to declare top allergens, including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybean and sesame.
The changes are consistent with the bureau's mandate “to ensure that labels provide consumers with adequate information about the identity, quality and alcohol content of alcohol beverages,” according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
Similar rules were first proposed nearly two decades ago and later championed in petitions submitted by advocacy groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The proposals represent a momentous step toward ensuring consumers have access to the information they need to make informed choices, follow health guidelines and avoid allergic reactions,” CSPI officials said in a statement.
Companies have been allowed to provide the information voluntarily for several years. In August 2021, a survey from the Beer Institute indicated that 95% of beer volume sold by several top producers contained nutrition information provided voluntarily, the bureau noted. Advocates, however, maintained that a limited number of companies used voluntary labels, “underscoring the need for a mandatory policy.”.
