Campaign For Alcohol Content on Labels

JULIE GALLAGHER

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines moderate alcohol consumption as no more than one drink for women per day and no more than two drinks for men.

In the interest of helping consumers heed this advice, a coalition of 18 public health, nutrition and consumer groups is petitioning the government to issue a final regulation to require standard labels on beer, wine and distilled spirits that include serving size, percentage of alcohol by volume, amount of alcohol per serving, Dietary Guideline advice about alcohol consumption and the definition of a standard drink, calories per serving, an ingredients list and fat, protein and carbohydrates per serving.

“It's the only category left with a mystery surrounding what's in it,” said Barbara Moore, president of Shape Up America!

Moore acknowledged that the serving facts panel proposed last year by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is a step in the right direction, but said that it lacks necessary information about alcohol content, the amount of alcohol per serving and the definition of a standard drink.

“Anything short of mandating this basic information would be a failure to the regulatory process,” read an open letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson signed by the 18 groups and published last week in the Washington Times, Roll Call and The Hill.