New guidelines for unit labelling

Products should be labelled with the total number of units per container, even in the case of re-sealable, multi-serve containers.

IN RESPONSE to the government’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy issued earlier this year, the Portman Group has drawn up new guidelines for the labelling of alcohol units in a bid to iron out current inconsistencies in unit labelling.

The guidelines suggest that products should be labelled with the total number of units per container, even in the case of re-sealable, multi-serve containers.  The number of units per typical serving may additionally be displayed if desired, but the size of the typical serving must also be stated.

The typical serving for wines up to 15% should be taken as 175ml and the typical serving for spirits or liqueurs should be 25ml.  All Portman Group member companies in this industry-wide initiative have committed to unit-labelling their key UK brands by the end of 2004.

Jim Minton, director of campaigns and communications at The Portman Group comments, "Unit labelling is a voluntary industry initiative, but we think it is a good idea as it informs the consumer about what they are drinking, so they can make a responsible choice, and we hope that more companies will begin to unit label their own brands."

The government has warned that the drinks industry could face legislation if it fails to display unit information and advice about responsible drinking on pack