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In 1993, an attempt to institute an “alcohol facts” label like the nutrition facts label on packaged foods died for lack of consumer interest.
But Americans are hungrier for nutritional information amid an epidemic of bulging waistlines and the Atkins Diet legacy of peeling off pounds by cutting carbohydrates.
The U.S. Treasury Department agency that regulates labeling of alcoholic beverages is “actively considering” a petition by consumer groups to require a uniform label on each alcoholic beverage container, said Art Resnick, the spokesman for Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
Such a label would be in addition to existing warnings against drinking while pregnant or driving. Consumer groups also want to include federal dietary guidelines advising no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women.
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Under current labeling law, alcohol content must be listed on hard liquor and most wines, but not on beer. Light beer and low-alcohol wine lists calories but regular beer, wine and spirits do not.
Consumer groups, who filed a petition with the Tax and Trade Bureau in December to standardize labeling, say it would help people watching their weight comprehend how many calories alcohol adds to their diets.
Consuming three beers, such as Budweiser, is comparable to eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder (420 calories). Drinking three premium malt beverages, such as Bacardi Silver or Smirnoff Ice, chalks up more calories than eating a super-sized box of McDonald’s fries (610 calories). Wine has fewer calories than sweet mixed drinks and beer, but a 4-ounce glass or red or white still packs about 100 calories.
