In the midst of partying, at the bar late at night, or while kicking up one’s feet at the end of a long day—regardless of circumstance—it’s likely the absence of nutrition and ingredient labels on alcoholic beverages hasn’t been noticed by many.
But why is it that these labels are missing from items consumed so regularly?
After Prohibition in the U.S. in 1933, alcohol, somewhat surprisingly, did not come under the umbrella of the Food and Drug Administration. Thus, alcohol remained unaffected in 1990 when the FDA required all packaged foods display nutrition labels.
Alcohol sits under the rein of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Under this agency, many times for multiple reasons, people have pushed for both ingredient and nutrition labels on alcohol containers to little avail.
Regulations for what companies are required to show on the packaging of their alcoholic products is fairly complicated, usually having to do with alcohol content by volume. Light beers are one example that typically do display nutrition information plainly on their labels.
Awareness of the need for ingredient labels on alcohol became somewhat increased last year when it was found that Fireball Whiskey (just like some processed foods) contained small amounts of propylene glycol, an ingredient found in antifreeze.
So one must wonder, how would drinking habits change if both nutrition and ingredient labels were included on the face of everyone’s favorite drinks, especially for college students? It likely would not change college partying rights-of-passage, but it might inspire closer observation of exactly what one is consuming when drinking alcohol and thus create healthier habits, just a drink for thought.
