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Do We Really Need Nutrition Labels on Beer?

In an initiative[1] to encourage awareness among beer drinkers of what’s in their bottle or can, the largest beer companies in the country (including Anheuser-Busch, HeinekenUSA, and MillerCoors) will begin printing nutrition information on their beer labels. The move comes from The Beer Institute[2], a trade group that counts the country's biggest brewers and importers as members. In the new guidelines proposed by the Beer Institute, labels will list calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat alongside alcohol by volume. Labels will also include ingredient disclosure.

The 100 Best Beers in the World[3]

"Beer is the most popular alcohol beverage in the United States," said Jim McGreevy, the Beer Institute’s chief executive officer, in a statement. "Providing meaningful information will ultimately empower the consumer when making decisions regarding the beer beverage of their choice."

Overall, bringing more transparency to beer is a good thing, but we don’t expect a lot of craft brewers to follow suit. Testing the nutritional content isn't cheap, and brewers would be losing label space typically used for unique design and art. What's more, most craft beer drinkers may not care how many calories are in their beer.

For microbrewery Spiteful Brewing[4] in Chicago, and other small craft brewers, it’s not about secrecy. Spiteful co-founder Jason Klein is happy to provide information, if anyone ever asks. "I agree that transparency in anything is generally a good thing, but I’m not sure this applies here," says Klein. "[Inquiring about nutritional info] has only come up once, in my memory, with a customer. I don't think the craft beer drinker is really asking for this."

As of now, only the Beer Institute and its big-name brands are for the addition of calorie counts, and the move is voluntary. "If we were required to add this information on packaging, then of course we would do it, but it would just be another hit to small businesses," Klein says. "The big guys are already doing it, so of course they are for it. They know it hurts craft beer and helps them in the fight for consumer’s dollars."

For small business owners who are competing in a market of giants, every dollar counts. Brewers would have to get every beer tested and analyzed in order to have accurate nutritional data. "As a small business that has come out with more than 100 different beers, this would be a major hit for us to take," says Klein. "And to what end? If it isn't a safety concern and there doesn't seem to be a demand for it, then what’s the point?"

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References

  1. ^ an initiative (www.beerinstitute.org)
  2. ^ The Beer Institute (www.beerinstitute.org)
  3. ^ The 100 Best Beers in the World (www.mensjournal.com)
  4. ^ Spiteful Brewing (www.spitefulbrewing.com)
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