Updating labelling guidance for no and low-alcohol alternatives
UK
Sep 29, 2023
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is consulting on options for updating guidance on low-alcohol descriptors. Our aim is to increase substitution of alcoholic drinks with ‘alcohol free’ or low-alcohol (‘NoLo’) alternatives among people who drink above low risk levels. We are specifically seeking views and evidence on:
- DHSC’s recommended conditions of using the descriptors ‘alcohol free’, ‘de-alcoholised’, ‘non-alcoholic’ and ‘low alcohol’ and whether such conditions should be set in regulations.
- Displaying numerical information of the alcoholic strength on the label.
- Displaying the UK chief medical officers’ low risk drinking guidelines on the label and alternative ways of communicating this information to consumers.
- Displaying an age restriction on nolo products and alternative options for preventing children and young people from accessing and consuming nolo drinks.
Alongside this consultation, we have published an evidence review of the potential known health risks of describing alcohol substitute drinks containing 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) as ‘alcohol free’.
For further information (in English), click on the Link