The Cancer Council warns that alcoholic beverages are healthier, more natural, “clean”, carbohydrate-free and can confuse consumers with guilt.
A study published on Sunday analyzed the nutritional profiles of 14 new alcohol products released between 2001 and 2020 that were advertised as better for you.
The amount of alcohol, energy, carbohydrates and sugar in each product was recorded and evaluated against the existing classification of alcohol energy and sugar and carbohydrate content.
Studies have shown that most products contain full-strength alcohol and do not provide more than a third of the nutritional information.
Julia Stafford, chairman of the Cancer Council Alcohol Working Group, Said Promoting alcohol as “healthy” or “good for you” is a misleading marketing strategy.
“We see an emerging and very worrying trend of alcohol companies trying to build a health center around fundamentally unhealthy products, marketing them as low in calories, sugar or carbohydrates, using‘ natural ’ingredients or avoiding the use of artificial additives or flavors, Stafford said.
“Alcoholic products have been promoted as better for you, the most health-conscious ingredient, relying on an illusion of health without dealing with the alcohol component.”
He said that the small difference between the sugar and kilojoule content is due to the health risks of drinking alcohol, which causes seven types of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer, and is associated with more than 200 diseases.
“Hello Hello or Genuine Product Development: Are Good Alcohol Products Really Healthy for You?” Mandatory labeling of alcoholic products with nutritional information will help consumers better understand the contents of alcoholic products. https://t.co/NEbT8nDbeE
– Australian Health Promotion Journal (eHealthProm_J_Au) September 7, 2021
Stafford warned that the alcohol and advertising industries design their own marketing codes that “are too narrow and too weak to limit health claims in alcohol advertising.”
“We call on the Australian Government to introduce comprehensive, independent controls on the marketing of alcohol, including restrictions on the use of health-related messages,” he said.
Examples of marketing claims include: We want our products to tick the health box; Millennium-centric brands are health-conscious and environmentally friendly; The best we can find using 100% natural ingredients; All natural ingredients, low sugar, gluten free; And zero sugar, zero carbs.
AAP has contacted industry body Alcohol Beverages Australia and Retail Beverages Australia for comment.
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This News Originally From – The Epoch Times
