Goalposts to move for low alcohol beer in health plans

BREWERIES will be allowed to label stronger beers as “low alcohol” or “alcohol-free”, under government plans to encourage drinkers to turn to healthier alternatives.

Currently, beers must have a maximum strength of 1.2 per cent to be able to describe themselves as “low alcohol”, and 0.05 per cent to say “no alcohol”.

This will be relaxed to 3 per cent and 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume respectively in a White Paper on health disparities, according to The Times. The policy intends to help cut overall alcohol consumption by encouraging drinkers to swap full-strength for weaker beers.

The paper was expected to come out this summer, but recent political changes held up publication. It will be released in September, when a new prime minister will sign off on the plan.

The White Paper also contains policies on obesity, where it will favour a “market-based approach” to tackling the issue. Additionally, plans to reduce the harm from tobacco would reject the idea to lowering the legal smoking age each year opting instead to focus on a “vaping revolution” allowing GPs to prescribe e-cigarettes, The Sunday Times previously reported.

The UK market for low and no alcohol beer has almost doubled in five years and now amounts to 3.1 per cent of the beer market, according to IWSR, a drinks market analysis company.

One of the first high-profile brewers to launch a product was BrewDog, who released the alcohol-free Nanny State ale in 2011. Many major brewers now have a “nolo” product, with alcohol-free Guinness, Heineken and Birra Moretti available in the UK.