FOR YOUR INFORMATION
We share below a number of recent developments. As always, we rely on FIVS Members to apprise us of noteworthy matters. Please contact the FIVS Secretariat with items that may be of interest.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
Labelling
Pregnancy labels in Australia & New Zealand – The Australian and New Zealand governments have finalised and gazetted the requirements for the introduction of mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol beverages sold in Australia and New Zealand, which now give the alcohol beverage industry until 31 July 2023 to comply. The new requirements will require most containers to display an image that imposes precise size, color and font requirements. Although the final rule accepted industry’s proposal to use the signal words “PREGNANCY WARNING,” the industry reportedly remains concerned that in current economic conditions, small businesses will not be able to afford the added costs of labels imprinted in three colors. See also the official governmental press release and the relevant WTO Notification.
Study in Argentina calls for updating labels – A study conducted by the Observatory of Addictions and Problematic Consumption of the Buenos Aires Ombudsman reportedly calls for legislation raising the warning surface on labels on alcohol beverages from the current average of 2 percent to a minimum of 20 percent. The study also calls for the inclusion of nutritional information, including calories, as well as health warnings for pregnant women, noting that existing regulations which were enacted in 1997 are outdated.
Marketing
“Clean” wine – This article concludes that marketing wine as “clean” is “elitist, anti-science nonsense.” The author argues that adults would need to drink 140 glasses of wine daily to consume enough glyphosate residue found in non-organic wine to cause health issues. She also argues that “clean” wine labels that list “organic grapes” as the only ingredient are not themselves transparent if they do not include sulfites, bentonite clay, pea protein, cream of tartar, yeast, and yeast nutrients.
- This article also questions the extent to which “clean,” chemical-free wine is bringing transparency to the wine industry or instead is a marketing exercise. It notes that requiring small wineries to update labels each year would impose an economic burden. The article also suggests that labels or e-labels listing ingredients may be required by the European Union by the end of 2022. See also this article which describes the innaccuracies associated with labelling a product “clean wine.”
Lost Jobs
South Africa’s ban on alcohol beverage sales – Heineken South Africa reportedly issued a statement noting that about 117,000 jobs have been lost in South Africa due to the country’s first ban on alcohol sales. South African Breweries reportedly announced the cancellation of ZAR2.5 billion (about US$142 million) of scheduled investments, and Distell reportedly projected that a nine-week ban would cost another 84,000 jobs and that South Africa would lose ZAR206 million (about US$11.7 million) in taxes each day.
- A call for lifting the ban in the Western Cape – The Western Cape Premier has reportedly called for the alcohol beverage sales ban to be lifted in the province, expressing concern about unprecedented job losses. He also reportedly intends to put the proposal before President Ramaphosa and others for their consideration.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
Establishing a WHO Science Council – A new World Health Organisation (WHO) Science Council will interpret cutting-edge scientific and medical knowledge, as well as the latest advances in technology. The Council’s recommendations will be given to the Director-General, expanding the scope of the science underpinning the WHO’s public health work. The terms of reference for the Council and information regarding nominations can be found here.
Sharp decline in binge drinking in New Zealand – A study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, What explains the decline in adolescent binge-drinking in New Zealand?, investigates contributing factors to the sharp decline in binge drinking among New Zealand adolescents since 2000. The study finds that decreasing acceptability of alcohol use among adolescents was the most important identified contributor.
U.S. guidelines take aim at moderate drinking – The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services are accepting public comments until 13 August 2020 on proposed new dietary guidelines for alcohol consumption, which recommend cutting the guidelines for men in half, from two drinks per day to one drink. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report reportedly said it was not aware of studies demonstrating that drinking two drinks was as safe or safer than drinking one drink per day for men. The article noted, however, that a long term, clinical study of moderate alcohol consumption launched by the National Institutes of Health in 2014 was cancelled after journalists reportedly discovered that NIH officials had lobbied the alcohol beverage industry for funding. The new dietary guidelines will be released later this year. See also this article which describes how the dietary guidelines have considered alcohol consumption less favourably over time.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Organic regulations may be changed: The US Department of Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to amend the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The proposed amendments are intended to build consumer and industry trust in the USDA organic label by strengthening organic control systems, improving farm to market traceability, and providing robust enforcement of the USDA organic regulations. Comments will be accepted until 05 October 2020.