Market research
Anheuser-Busch InBev is to list nutritional content on all UK products as it goes "above and beyond" minimum requirements agreed between European brewers, the company has said.
AB InBev brands such as Budweiser will carry full nutritional information
Brewers of Europe members, including AB InBev, pledged last year to show calorie counts and ingredients for all beers. However, brewers were only required to display the information online. AB InBev UK said today it will put the information on labels or on secondary packaging such as six- and 12-pack boxes.
In a further move, the nutritional info - which includes energy values, fat, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins and salt - will be given per serve as well as for the required per 10cl.
A spokesperson for AB InBev told just-drinks that the company aims to roll out the new labels across 80% of its UK products by 2018. Other EU countries will follow a similar path and "after implementation we will evaluate whether we will do this for other geographies as well", the spokesperson added.
Anna Tolley, AB InBev's legal & corporate affairs director in the UK, said: "Consumers are getting savvier about their daily calorie consumption and are actively looking at nutritional information. While the EU continues to discuss the best way forward for nutritional labelling in our industry, we want to give consumers the information they need at their fingertips to make well-informed choices and enjoy our products responsibly."
Alcohol companies have come under increasing pressure from consumers and regulators to include nutritional information on their products.
A week before the Brewers of Europe announcement, Diageo said it would include nutritional labels that give information per single serve on its global brands.
Sectors: Beer & cider, Corporate social responsibility (CSR), Legislation, Spirits, Wine
Companies: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Diageo
