Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

On your radar > Alcohol Regulation

Alcohol Regulation

Pressure is rising in Europe for tougher rules on alcohol pricing and advertising. Public health and the health of the drinks industry is at stake in these negotiations and debates.

Wine exporters swoon at sight of Canada: Rabobank

25-Apr-2012 - Faced with volume declines in core European export markets, exporters are reassessing the importance of smaller markets with better growth and pricing, and Canada is leading the way.

Don’t link alcohol to ‘sexual success’ in future Budweiser adverts, ASA warns AB InBev

11-Apr-2012 - The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has ordered brewer AB InBev not to rebroadcast a radio advert that it said linked alcohol to sexual success, following a public complaint.

‘Recession cocktails’ in a can trained on aspiring Indian urbanites

01-Mar-2012 - After Rexam announced yesterday that it would produce cans intended for India’s first RTD whisky-based premix products, one industry analyst told BeverageDaily.com that the category there had the ‘potential to be massive’.

New EU organic wine rules are ‘best political compromise’, trade body

14-Feb-2012 - The EU’s Standing Committee on Organic Farming (SCOF) has agreed new rules for organic wine that it claims will raise its profile within the bloc and worldiwde, in a move welcomed by a prominent group representing organic producers, despite the latter’s warning about ‘challenging’ new sulphite reduction targets.

Major European brewer awaits result of ‘tasty’ low alcohol beer research

09-Feb-2012 - An Irish researcher whose team has developed novel technology to brew cost-effective, tasty low alcohol beer says he believes such products have a genuine market, as a major European brewer awaits the results of further work.

Alcohol pricing bill could sabotage Scotch whisky, warns academic

26-Jan-2012 - A Scottish-based academic has warned BeverageDaily.com that plans by the country’s legislators to introduce minimum alcohol pricing would be a ‘massive shot in the foot’ for the nation’s top global export Scotch whisky.

News in brief

You say ‘Viagra’, we say ‘Viaguara’: Polish firm impotent after EU court flick off

26-Jan-2012 - Polish firm Viaguara is suffering from something of an identity crisis after the EU General Court rejected the company’s appeal over trademark registration of the name.

Analyst suggests Catch-22 for big beer brands in one bid to boost sales

17-Jan-2012 - Big beer brands face something of a double bind in trying to stem the tide of declining UK beer sales and entice new consumers to the category, in a market where simply taking over small, successful craft brands risks diluting their appeal, according to a Mintel analyst.

Canned whisky would be shot in dark on UK market, Alcohol Concern

05-Jan-2012 - Alcohol Concern has warned about the ‘absurd’ effects of marketing canned Scotch whisky in the UK, following a controversial launch of such a product in the US.

CFA calls for “Alcohol Facts” labeling

04-Jan-2012 - The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has renewed a call for nutrition facts labeling on alcoholic beverages, which it says was agreed by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in 2007.

News in brief

'Whisky' war breaks out as SWA accuses Arkay of illegal promotional claim

15-Nov-2011 - The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has warned consumers "not to be taken in" by a new product claiming to be the world's first alcohol-free whisky and has signalled its intent to fight against the introduction of an illegal product.

Super strength drinks firm bullish despite ‘deceptive advertising’ claim

04-Oct-2011 - A US firm accused by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of deceptive advertising doesn’t believe it violated any laws, despite agreeing to repackage and label its super-strength alcoholic products.

Alcohol may get health labels in Australia

25-Aug-2011 - Consumer groups have urged the Australian government to make alcohol health warning labels on liquor beverages mandatory to help reduce the harm caused by alcohol.

Carlsberg CEO downplays threat of Russian PET beer bottle ban

11-May-2011 - The head of Carlsberg has downplayed a proposed ban on PET beer bottles in Russia, adding that he thinks it is not likely to become law.

Natural preservative tackles fruit juice spoilage

10-Mar-2010 - Purac is launching a new natural preservative for fruit and juice-based beverages, which is said to counter the spore-forming spoiler Alicyclobacillus.

Scotch trade body says minimum alcohol pricing breaches EU law

09-Mar-2010 - The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has claimed that a European Court of Justice ruling about tobacco products is a major setback for Scottish plans to introduce minimum alcohol pricing.

Coffee again linked to anti-diabetes benefits

24-Feb-2010 - Consuming a whopping 12 cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of diabetes by an impressive 67 percent, according to a new study with Native Americans.

Germans call for energy shot ban

04-Feb-2010 - German health authorities have issued a 14-page statement warning against over-consumption of energy shots – one of the fastest growing segments of the international beverages market.

Brewers attack new EU alcohol strategy

07-Dec-2009 - EU health ministers have agreed to Swedish recommendations that member states should consider price increases and advertising bans to combat alcohol-related harm.

SABMiller strikes up partnership to fight water scarcity

26-Nov-2009 - SABMiller has launched the Water Futures partnership with WWF after drawing attention to the water scarcity problem in a new report out earlier this week.

Victorian Lemonade goes down badly with alcohol campaigners

29-Oct-2009 - A campaign to reclassify Fentimans Victorian Lemonade as “imitation liquor” in Maine has prompted a flood of consumer interest in the drink.

Zero waste a target for all, says Envirowise

07-Oct-2009 - Every company should be aiming at zero waste from their factory or production process, said speakers at the Sustainability Round Table – and better resource use can bring cost savings.

Study links zero tolerance alcohol stance to binge drink reductions

17-Jun-2009 - Parent’s adopting a zero tolerance policy on supplying alcohol to teenagers and children may cut the likelihood of college-age binge drinking later in life compared to more European attitudes on supervised access at restaurants or during family dinners, says new research.

Call for companies to pay towards packaging disposal costs

10-Jun-2009 - UK packaging companies and retailers should be forced to contribute towards the £100m annual cost of disposing of excess packing, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.

Beer's functional potential: A fruity conundrum

27-May-2009 - With regulations prohibiting the use of health claims on alcoholic beverages, is there room for innovation in the use of fruit ingredients and extracts in beer?

Spotlight

US firm brushes off Yerba Mate beverage 'bitterness' claims, hopes for sparkling growth

US firm brushes off Yerba Mate beverage 'bitterness' claims, hopes for sparkling growth

US firm Guayaki has launched a sparkling-based beverage containing natural stimulant Yerba Mate in Rexam sleek cans...

Diageo 'delight' at UK success for Nigerian sorghum-based Guinness

Diageo 'delight' at UK success for Nigerian sorghum-based Guinness

Diageo has told BeverageDaily.com it is 'delighted' by the export success of its African sorghum-based beers in...

Russian vodka market faces ‘systemic problem’: analyst

Russian vodka market faces ‘systemic problem’: analyst

The Russian vodka market faces a systemic problem with rapid initial growth amongst brands offset by declines...

Shipwreck beer bacteria holds formulation promise - VTT

Shipwreck beer bacteria holds formulation promise - VTT

Finnish researchers say that lactic acid bacteria strains derived from a 19th century beer found in a shipwreck...

'More likely' PepsiCo split could see beverages or snacks arms sold - analysts

'More likely' PepsiCo split could see beverages or snacks arms sold - analysts

Leading US analysts believe that major shareholders are pushing for a PepsiCo split that could happen sooner...

‘Confusing’ EU wine labelling rules unfit for consumer needs: UK winery

‘Confusing’ EU wine labelling rules unfit for consumer needs: UK winery

An award-winning UK winery pulled up by regulators for illegally calling a wine it made using Argentinian...