Widespread compliance with Portman’s voluntary guidelines

By James Bayley

Published: 12 September, 2024

A new review of alcohol labelling in the UK has shown almost universal compliance with the Portman Group’s voluntary health labelling guidelines.

The study, released today (12 September), examined 500 products from leading alcohol brands and highlights the industry’s strong commitment to providing public health information.

According to the findings, 99% of labels include a pregnancy warning, 96% display alcohol unit content (an increase from 94% in 2021), and 86% feature the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guideline advising against drinking more than 14 units per week, up from 79% in the previous review. Additionally, 92% of products reference Drinkaware or other responsible drinking messages.

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The study also found that 74% of labels separate consumer information within a box, with 86% of products carrying the Chief Medical Officers’ guideline using this format. The Portman Group will clarify its advice, recommending this as the best way to display key information.

Many brands have gone beyond the guidelines by including extra details such as calorie counts, drink-driving warnings and age restrictions. Over half (51%) of the labels provide calorie information, while 38% warn against drink driving, and 36% display age restrictions, all of which have increased since 2021.

In areas where compliance is lower, the Portman Group has reached out to producers to encourage greater adherence to the guidelines. Some producers have already confirmed changes are being made. The organisation also offers a free, confidential Advisory Service for any producers uncertain about the guidelines.

Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group, expressed his satisfaction with the results, saying, “We’re incredibly pleased to see such positive levels of increasing adherence to our best practice guidelines, which showcase the alcohol industry’s long-standing commitment to proactively ensuring responsible marketing and informing consumers. It’s important to remember that all of this has been achieved without any need for government legislation and crucially at no cost to the UK taxpayer.”

He added, “Our guidelines are absolutely clear that labels should contain distinct information, such as on units and government lower-risk drinking guidelines, so that consumers are able to easily understand and make informed choices about their alcohol consumption. It’s particularly positive to see not only is this being near universally met, but many producers are going above and beyond to provide additional information such as calories and drink driving warnings.”

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