The Food Standards Australia New Zealand Code (Food Standards Code) sets out what you can and can’t do when it comes to making ‘health claims’ or ‘nutrition content claims’ in relation to alcohol products.
Section 1.2.7 of the Code covers these kinds of claims or statements. A health claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food or property of a food may have a health effect. A nutrition content claim is any claim regarding the presence or absence of any of the following;
- biologically active substances (a substance, other than a nutrient, with which health effects are associated – e.g. resveratrol)
- dietary fibre
- energy
- minerals
- potassium
- protein
- carbohydrate
- the components of any one protein, carbohydrate or fat
- salt
- sodium
- vitamins, and
- glycaemic index or glycaemic load.
Making any health claim or nutrition content claim (with exception for energy, carbohydrate or gluten) about a product containing greater than 1.15 per cent alcohol contravenes the Food Standards Code.
If a wine doesn’t comply with the Food Standards Code, it won’t be approved for export. For example, making a statement about how your wine gives people a health-kick or improves heart health or identifying that a wine has increased resveratrol content or that another biologically active substance is present (even if naturally present) means that it’s not going to comply with the Food Standards Code.
For further information, consult the Food Standards Code or get in touch with Regulatory Services via email or phone at (08) 8228 2000.