Compliance with voluntary nutritional labelling on alcoholic beverages in Spain

Abstract

Access to nutritional information is a fundamental consumer´s right, as it facilitates informed decision-making regarding dietary choices. However, excluding a recent directive concerning wine products, European Union regulations grant exemption to beverages with an alcohol content exceeding 1.2 % from the requirement of disclosing nutritional values. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the industry´s compliance with voluntary commitments for nutritional labelling of alcoholic beverages in Spain. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the municipality of Madrid (Spain) during March and April 2023. Data on 627 alcoholic beverages were collected. We considered that a product label displayed complete nutritional data when it showed the energy value per 100 mL as well as the corresponding macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins). Only 22.2 % of these products provided any nutritional information, with beers leading at 56.5 %, followed by spirits (26.5 %), vermouths and aperitifs (16.7 %), and wines and sparkling wines significantly fewer at 2.9 %. Only 2.4 % of the sampled beverages provided comprehensive nutritional information including energy and macronutrients. These findings highlight a failure to meet voluntary labelling commitments in Spain, with significant variations observed across sectors. The government should ensure consumers´ access to readily available and accurate information regarding the nutritional composition of alcoholic beverages.