One in five alcohol products sold in the UK fail to meet minimum voluntary labelling guidelines set by the alcohol industry regulator, the Portman Group, new analysis finds.
The study of over 530 alcohol product labels sold in the UK – the biggest study of its kind to date – found that basic nutrition and health information, such as units of alcohol, ingredients, and health and pregnancy warnings, was inconsistent or wholly absent from labels, leaving consumers without important information about what is in their drinks and the associated health risks.
Polling shows overwhelming support for more transparent alcohol labelling, with 78% of UK adults saying they want clear health and nutrition information on alcohol product labelling [1].
The new analysis of labels also found:
- One in four products do not include units per serving, limiting consumer ability to track intake
- 8% of products do not include units per container, a minimum requirement
- Only 6.7% of products currently include any health warning
- Just 1.3% of products include specific warnings relating to cancer or liver disease, despite alcohol causing at least seven types of cancer
- Full nutritional information was provided on only 13.4% of products
- Industry-funded messaging (such as ‘drink responsibly’) appears on nearly 90% of products
Researchers also found that legal and health information was often displayed in very small text or pictograms, with some measuring as little as 2.5mm in diameter.
The report comes following the UK Government’s announcement earlier this year that it would consult on introducing measures including health warnings and nutritional information on alcohol products.
Currently, alcoholic drinks are only legally required to display liquid volume, alcohol by volume (ABV), and allergen information. There is no requirement to display drinking guidelines, health warnings, ingredients, or calorie content — information that must by law appear on other food and drink products.
Alcohol is linked to more than 200 health conditions, including causing seven types of common cancer, but awareness of these risks remains relatively low. The report notes that fewer than half of adults (48%) identify alcohol consumption as a cancer risk factor, while four in five adults do not know how many units are in their drinks.
Researchers say mandatory alcohol labelling could improve public understanding of alcohol content and health risks, while ensuring consumers receive consistent information across products.
The Alcohol Health Alliance and Alcohol Focus Scotland, the organisations behind the report, are calling for a mandatory UK-wide alcohol labelling system that requires:
- Units per serving and per container
- Pregnancy warnings
- Rotating health warnings, including cancer warnings
- Nutritional and ingredient information
- Independent oversight of labelling standards
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “Alcohol is a type 1 carcinogen — in the same category as tobacco and asbestos — yet most alcohol products carry little or no meaningful health information communicating those risks.
“Public awareness of alcohol harms remains low, particularly around alcohol and cancer, despite alcohol being attributable to an estimated one in 25 cancer cases in the UK.
“Consumers would not accept this level of missing health information on other food and drink products, and alcohol should not be treated differently.
“Consumers have a right to know what is in their drink, how much alcohol it contains, and the health risks associated with drinking it. Mandatory alcohol labelling would help ensure everyone can make informed decisions about their health.”
Carolyn Lochhead, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “Consumers are being kept in the dark about the potential health harms of alcohol products. It is ludicrous that a pint of milk is required to carry more information than most alcohol products.
“With more than 50 people a week dying of preventable alcohol-related causes in Scotland, this situation cannot continue. Consumers have the right to know what they are drinking so that they can make genuinely informed choices about their health.
“Self-regulation has clearly failed. It’s time for the governments to act and introduce mandatory health warning labels on alcohol products.”
The report also points to the UK joining growing international momentum towards improved consumer information standards.
Ireland passed comprehensive alcohol labelling legislation in 2018, while South Korea introduced cancer warnings on alcohol products the same year.
Last year, Norway published proposals for rotating health warnings covering multiple conditions, including mental health and breast cancer, while the outgoing US Surgeon General recommended cancer warnings on alcohol labels.
The report, titled A Clear Way Forward, was produced jointly by the Alcohol Health Alliance and Alcohol Focus Scotland.
ENDS.
[1] Nationally representative polling of over 2,000 adults (Feb-Mar 2025) by Public First for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) and the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA))
