Public interest organizations in the United States, such as Shape Up America and the National Consumers League, are rallying for the same standardized labelling information on alcoholic beverages as there is on packages for foods, beverages, and over-the-counter drugs.
These groups are asking for a standardized "Alcohol Facts" panel on product labels, with basic information such as serving size, calories per serving, alcohol content per serving, and allergen information.
In Canada, large food companies have until December 12, 2005 to add nutrition information to their packages; small manufacturers have until 2007. Exemptions in Canada include fresh fruit and vegetables, raw meat and poultry (except ground), coffee beans, tea leaves, herbs and spices, foods prepared from ingredients where the foods are sold (e.g. baked goods), and, similar to American regulations, alcoholic beverages.
With the current lack of labelling requirements on alcoholic beverages, watching your waistline and enjoying a few coolers can be confusing. Did you know that a typical 355 ml cooler packs 270-376 calories?? If nutrition information was available on bottles of booze, you might think twice about having a couple of sugary coolers.
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