Globally, Diageo claims to be leading the industry in providing people with information about alcohol.
In its statement Diageo states: “We believe in doing this based on what people have told us they find helpful and clear. For example, last year we spoke to more than 1,500 consumers around the world, including people from Great Britain and Spain, about labeling and they told us that, of all the information that could be included on the limited space we have on labels, alcohol information (standard drink size, ABV, how many units), calories per serve, sugar content, allergens and brand facts (such as how a product is made) were most helpful.
“This is why we committed to the voluntary inclusion of nutrition and alcohol content information on labels as we believe it is the best and fastest way to inform consumers on what they are drinking.
“We believe in providing this information per serve, as the 100ml only is misleading and doesn’t represent the reality of what’s in a drink (we are nevertheless providing the information also per 100ml in markets where this is legally required).”
Diageo states the information per serve also allows for better comparison between the different categories of alcohol beverages, and reinforces the fact that alcohol is alcohol.
“This approach, publically available, has been developed in our new Diageo Consumer Information Standards (DCIS), which launched in July 2016. The designs are consistent in layout so people know where to look on our products and use icons for ease of understanding. The new labels tested well in focus groups and will be gradually rolled out globally,” says Diageo in its corporate statement.
It concludes: “We look forward to working with the rest of the industry and with the European institutions to find the best solution that will help consumers understand what’s in their drinks and support informed and responsible choices about drinking, or choosing not to drink.”
