This week, the UK’s advertising watchdog has pulled up four hard seltzers for making - or simply implying - health or nutritional claims on their products. So how should such brands navigate this territory?
The UK’s advertising watchdog has taken issue with a BrewDog Instagram post for its hard seltzer: saying the tongue-in-cheek advertising implied a nutritional claim on an alcohol drink. It also ticked off the craft brewer for implying the 5% ABV drink...
The China authorities have proposed a set of regulations to better distinguish so-called ‘solid beverages’ from infant formula and Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs).
Spain’s Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has reiterated advice to reduce energy drink consumption especially among minors due to caffeine’s effect on sleep and the cardiovascular system.
Food businesses must be prepared for enforcement action from regulators to tackle the issue of greenwashing, it has been warned, as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority publishes draft guidance for companies about ‘green’ claims.
The European Commission has launched a probe into Coca-Cola over potential violations to competition rules. The news comes as debate over implementation of the bloc’s approach to Unfair Trade Practices (UTPs) intensifies, with retailers flagging the negotiating...
Once the ABV of kombucha exceeds 0.5%, it’s classified as an alcoholic beverage. The KOMBUCHA Act would raise that threshold to 1.25% ABV, enabling brands to sell ‘authentic’ raw kombucha using traditional methods without becoming subject to federal alcohol...
Swiss industrial mineral provider Omya International AG has launched OmyaPET, a new product family of functionalized calcium carbonates for PET applications.
Just as the man made globally famous by a Netflix documentary outlining how he conned wine collectors out of millions of dollars was deported to his native Indonesia, a team of scientists from Australia believe they have found a fast and simple method...
European spirits producers are making progress with their commitment to provide energy information on labels: with around 1 in 4 bottles now displaying such information.
Product names or descriptors such as ‘CBD gin’ or ‘rum infused with CBD’ could prove problematic in the UK, says the Portman Group, as it sets out guidance on marketing CBD.
The Australian beverages industry has expressed hopes that the government will reconsider its current stance on Health Star Ratings (HSR) for no added sugar juices after the sector emerged as the sole soft drinks growth category in the last quarter of...
South Africa has seen large reductions in purchases of sugary beverage volumes since the country’s sugar tax was announced in 2016, according to a new study published this month.
Singapore’s beverage sector is seeking increased industry engagement and a more holistic approach to sugar reduction, after the government opened public consultations for its proposed ‘Nutri-Grade’ sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) labelling scheme.
Japanese brewery giants Asahi and Kirin are reacting cautiously to the government’s push to include alcoholic content by gramme on product labels, though both will be implementing changes which experts believe will be emulated by the rest of the industry...
The ABV threshold at which kombucha switches from a non-alcoholic beverage to what is effectively 'beer' for tax purposes is currently set at 0.5%. The KOMBUCHA Act, reintroduced to Congress by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3) and Senator...
South Korea has published a list of almost 3,000 food and beverage products which are banned from being sold on school grounds for being too high in calories and low in nutritional value, or high in caffeine in the government’s latest attempt to ensure...
Juice firms in Australia have been advised to turn to blending their products with lower fructose fruits or vegetables in order to raise health star ratings (HSR), after a damaging ministerial decision to reduce the health rating of juices.
The ABV threshold at which kombucha switches from a non-alcoholic beverage to what is effectively 'beer' for tax purposes is currently set at 0.5%. The KOMBUCHA Act, set to be reintroduced to Congress this session, provided the right tax vehicle...
A new partnership between alcohol brands, online retailers and delivery platforms pledges to create robust global standards for responsible online sales and deliveries of alcohol: with AB InBev, Molson Coors, Asahi, Drizly and Uber Eats all part of the...
South Africa will now allow limited sales of alcohol, lifting its third ban on alcohol sales. “This is a welcome step to helping the industry begin its long journey back to recovery,” say alcohol industry bodies.
In the first decision of its kind, The Portman Group has upheld a complaint against CBD gin ‘Colorado High’ in the UK for both creating a link with an illicit drug and implying therapeutic qualities. But the craft distiller behind the gin argues adults...
Japan’s plan to reduce the gap in taxes levied on the three main beer categories in the country is expected to first stimulate rapid new product innovation across the board, then also deliver a boost to the traditional beer segment in the long run, according...
With the rise in low/no alcohol products, the UK’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has set out its recommendations for how to name and label low and no alcohol products designed as spirit drink substitutes.
A coalition of 21 trade associations representing wine, distilled spirits and related sectors have reiterated their dismay over tariffs between the US and EU: as new US tariffs come into effect today on certain Cognac, grape brandies, and non-sparkling...
The AB InBev subsidiary will take on the South African government's third alcohol sales ban in court: challenging the constitutionality of the ban. “Legal action is the last resort available to us to protect our employees, suppliers and all the livelihoods...
Australia’s alcoholic drinks sector has started the year with a fight on two fronts, leading industry leaders to give both barrels to new government drinking guidelines and accusations from academics that it provides a ‘distorted view’ of scientific evidence’...
More good news for the CBD industry. The European Commission has abandoned its plans to classify non-synthetic CBD a narcotic and resumed Novel Food applications for edible CBD products.
The South African alcohol industry has pledged to withdraw support for, or association of brands with, major entertainment events over the festive period: saying they will not associate themselves with activities that have the potential of attracting...
UK bosses of global food manufacturers, including General Mills, Associated British Foods and PepsiCo have called for the Government to extend its consultation on plans to ban online advertising for 'unhealthy foods'.
The UK’s advertising watchdog has told maverick Scottish craft brewer BrewDog to rein in use of its ‘F**k you CO2’ tagline when advertising its new carbon negative status.
Europe’s soft drinks industry has reduced added sugars in drinks by an average of 14.6% between 2015 and 2019; contributing to a reduction of 26% since 2000.
The EU is adding new tariffs on US rum, brandy, vodka and vermouth today; following on from tariffs imposed by the US last year. Industry representatives on both sides of the Atlantic warn the alcohol industry is suffering from the ongoing Airbus/Boeing...
The Brexit transition period is due to end in less than three months. What does this mean for food and beverage producers with geographical indication protection?
The UK has seen a 44% reduction in sugar content per 100ml in drinks covered by the UK’s sugar tax: a much greater reduction than sugar reduction achieved across food categories, according to a government report.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has introduced mandatory warning labels and tightened regulations governing ‘high caffeine’ beverages, including coffee and tea products.
Despite sugar reduction being a major consumer health trend impacting nearly every corner of the CPG industry, many food and beverage products in Canada have seen limited changes in sugar content, a recent study by the University of Toronto suggests.
The Australian juice industry will need to play up the health benefits of consumption and its role in meeting current local dietary guidelines both on-pack and off, if it hopes to recover from the blow of its five health star rating loss.
The South African alcohol industry is welcoming the government’s decision to lift its coronavirus ban on alcohol sales, with the trading and distribution of alcohol again permitted from today.
Researchers in Thailand have called for the government to pursue more aggressive public health policies in addition to imposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in the country after an advanced simulation model revealed that this would have little...
Alcohol industry organisations are calling on the South African government to provide a clear timeline of its coronavirus alcohol ban: not only because of the effect on the local economy, but also because of the constraints placed on international trade.
Sugar taxation has remained the most effective for of food taxation when it comes to reducing diet-related diseases as compared to taxes on salt, saturated fat and junk food, according to a recent New Zealand study.
The UK government will launch a consultation this year on its intention to make companies provide calorie labelling on all pre-packaged alcohol they sell.
