Proposed rules would require nutrition info, allergen warnings on
alcohol labels
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 [January 17, 2025]
By JONEL ALECCIA
Labels on wine, distilled spirits and malt beverages in the U.S. would
be required to list alcohol content and nutritional information per
serving, plus notification of potential allergens, under two new rules
proposed Thursday by the Treasury Department.
The department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is seeking
public content on proposals to require an “alcohol facts” box — similar
to nutrition labels on food — that would list alcohol content, calories,
carbohydrates, fat and protein per serving. A second rule would require
labels to declare top allergens, including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish,
tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybean and sesame.
The changes are consistent with the bureau's mandate “to ensure that
labels provide consumers with adequate information about the identity,
quality and alcohol content of alcohol beverages,” according to a notice
published in the Federal Register.
Similar rules were first proposed nearly two decades ago and later
championed in petitions submitted by advocacy groups, including the
Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“The proposals represent a momentous step toward ensuring consumers have
access to the information they need to make informed choices, follow
health guidelines and avoid allergic reactions,” CSPI officials said in
a statement.
Companies have been allowed to provide the information voluntarily for
several years. In August 2021, a survey from the Beer Institute
indicated that 95% of beer volume sold by several top producers
contained nutrition information provided voluntarily, the bureau noted.
Advocates, however, maintained that a limited number of companies used
voluntary labels, “underscoring the need for a mandatory policy.”
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Bottles freshly filled with beer move on a conveyor belt at
Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Jan. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Carrie
Antlfinger, File)
The Wine Institute, a trade group, said it would support digital labels
that contained the required information. “Given the unique nature of
winemaking, the most accurate and least burdensome approach to providing
nutrition information to consumers would be to allow the option of
off-label disclosure via QR code or other electronic means,” the group
said.
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States also suggested QR
codes or website references.
Comments will be accepted through April 16. The rules would take effect
five years from the date of final approval.
The move is the second major change for alcohol labels announced in the
waning days of the Biden administration. On Jan. 5, U.S. Surgeon General
Vivek Murthy called for new warnings about the link between alcohol and
cancer.
The new proposals come as the government is in the process of updating
dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol, that will form the
cornerstone of federal food programs and policy. The updated guidelines
are expected later this year.
The current guidelines recommend women have one drink or fewer per day
while men should stick to two or fewer.
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