As the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code allows for a discrepancy between labeled strength and actual strength, companies can put a higher alcohol strength on the label than the actual spirit inside, in order to gain some competitive advantage, while still paying the lower excise rate for the product.
AUSTRALIA: Government introduces alcohol labeling bill
A bill has been introduced in the Australian Federal Parliament that would see a clampdown on spirits manufacturers which overstate the alcohol level on spirits.
September 27, 2002