FSANZ Approves Regulatory Change Allowing Sugar Claims on Alcoholic Beverages

On April 7, 2025, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) announced the approval of Proposal 1049 Carbohydrate and Sugar Claims on Alcoholic Beverages. This will allow alcoholic drinks with an alcohol content greater than 1.15% ABV to carry nutrition claims about sugar and carbohydrates. Food ministers were notified of the approval. If no review is requested within 60 days, the Food Standards Code will be amended accordingly. The changes will come into effect immediately following the official gazettal of the variation.

Background

This clarification responds to growing industry interest in labelling alcoholic products with sugar-related claims. Previously, while carbohydrate claims were explicitly permitted, it was unclear whether claims specifically about sugar, one of the components of carbohydrate, were allowed. FSANZ's approval now confirms that sugar claims are permitted, bringing them into line with other allowable nutrition claims such as those for energy, gluten, and carbohydrate.

Key changes

Under the revised rules, alcoholic beverages may now carry general claims about sugar or sugars. A comparison of the regulatory changes is outlined below:

However, FSANZ has maintained specific restrictions to prevent false, misleading or deceptive representations. While general claims about “sugar” or “sugars” are now allowed, nutrition content claims must not refer to:

• Any other components of carbohydrate besides sugar or sugars, such as dietary fibre or starches.

• Individually named sugars, such as fructose, glucose, or lactose.