Vital health information missing from alcohol labels: U K health charity

Much of the alcohol sold by leading supermarkets in the UK is poorly labelled and consumers are being shortchanged on vital information concerning their health, a health charity has warned.

The Message On a Bottle report from Alcohol Concern has revealed that only 4 per cent of products surveyed carry all five elements that constitute the industry's 'best practice' label.

Only 18 per cent of products carried information on sensible drinking levels while as many as 56 per cent carried information on alcohol units – despite a 1998 voluntary agreement between the drinks industry and the government to introduce unit labeling on all products.

Though they had promised to improve alcohol labeling last year, the liquor industry is yet to live up its pledges on corporate social responsibility, the charity says.

Alchool Concern has asked the government to introduce a system of health labeling for alcohol products. It has called on supermarkets to promote only products that are clearly labelled.

According to Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern there was a huge disparity between the drink industry's enthusiasm to promote and advertise alcohol to the public and its willingness to come out with the facts about what they are drinking.