CALORIES, FAT, CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEIN, AND ALCOHOL: IF WINE IS A FOOD, THEN AMERICANS WANT ITS NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE LABEL. RESULTS OF A SURVEY BY THE “ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU”

A recent survey has revealed that Americans, for better or for worse, are fixated with nutritional information and want the percentages and the quantities of fats, protein, carbohydrates and, obviously, alcohol levels, clearly provided on labels. If wine is considered a food and not just a drink then Americans want to know what they’re eating.

The survey was conducted by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) following consultations on whether to include Serving Facts on labels that would include not only the amount of alcohol but also all other nutrient levels that are on food labels.

The debate is particularly focused on alcohol level indications. The TTB tends towards keeping the percentage per volume, while other requests have been made to also add the equivalent amount per glass (for beer, wine, and spirits), the amount per bottle, and even the amount in a “standard” alcoholic drink.

The situation couldn’t be more different for labeling debates in Europe: after long consultations, the European Commission is defining a decree that would make a single common nutritional information label for food and drink, with only some additional data necessary for wine, beer and liquors.