Alcohol product packaging and labelling

The ASA Alcohol Advertising and Promotion Code also considers alcohol product packaging, naming, and labelling to be alcohol advertisements.

For example, alcohol products shall not use designs, motifs, or cartoon characters that have appeal to minors or that create confusion with confectionery or soft drinks.

Click here for more information on the Code.

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code also contains guidelines for the Labelling of Alcoholic Beverages (2104).

For example, there are some specific requirements for alcohol labelling including the display of the number of standard drinks on each product. Unlike other beverages (and foods) nutritional information isn’t required for alcohol beverages at this stage.

There was a long standing application (with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) for alcohol to carry advisory statements (warning labels) recommending drinkers not to consume alcohol if they are pregnant. However, New Zealand (and Australian) Government have long deferred to self-regulation. However in July 2020, after over 20 years of advocacy, NZ and Australian Ministers voted to mandate a strong evidence based pregnancy health warning label on alcohol products (see below).  Visit the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website for technical information.

Please check out the section on Alcohol & Pregnancy for more information,