FSANZ Approves Mandatory Energy Labelling on Alcoholic Beverages

On April 7, 2025, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) announced the approval of P1059: Energy Labelling on Alcoholic Beverages, officially requiring energy content information to appear on most packaged alcoholic beverages sold in Australia and New Zealand. Food ministers were notified of the approval. If no review is requested within 60 days, the Food Standards Code will be amended accordingly. A three-year transition period will apply, with exemptions for products packaged and labelled before the deadline.

Background

The regulatory change addresses ongoing public health concerns. Approximately two-thirds of adults in Australia and New Zealand are overweight or obese, with alcohol contributing significantly to overall energy intake. Despite this, many consumers remain unaware of the kilojoule content of alcoholic drinks. The new labelling requirement aims to close this information gap and help consumers make more informed choices.

Mandatory Energy Labelling

Under this change, most packaged alcoholic beverages will be required to carry an energy statement on their labels. This statement must clealy show the number of servings per package, the average quantity of one serving (in mL), the energy content per serving and per 100 mL, and the approximate number of standard drinks in each serving. The energy statement will appear in a format like this:

The labelling requirement applies to prescribed beverages, which include standardised alcoholic products (e.g., beer, brandy, cider, fruit wine, fruit wine product, liqueur, mead, perry, spirit, vegetable wine, vegetable wine product, wine or wine product) or any beverage containing at least 0.5% alcohol by volume. However, exemptions apply for:

• Products already displaying a nutrition information panel (mandatory or voluntary)

• Small packages (less than 100 cm² surface area)

In addition, if the label includes energy values below 40 kJ, it may use the phrase "LESS THAN 40 kJ."

Importantly, the required energy statement will not be classified as a nutrition content claim. This means producers can display it without triggering broader requirements for nutrient declarations. The rule also allows the statement to appear voluntarily on outer packaging layers even when not required.

Optional percentage daily intake values

Manufacturers may also choose to include percentage daily intake values based on an average adult diet of 8700 kJ. If the percentage daily intake is shown, the statement must include:

• Percentage daily intake of energy per serving

• One of the following reference statements:

“based on an average adult diet of 8700 kJ”

“Percentage daily intakes are based on an average adult diet of 8700 kJ”

Example energy statement with percentage daily intake information is as below: