Sainsbury`s wine labels to display calorie counts

Research for supermarket finds that 85% of shoppers are unaware of calorific content of alcohol

One of Britain’s biggest supermarkets is to add a calorie tally to wine labels to help consumers make “responsible” health choices. Sainsbury’s will launch the labels, stating the number of calories in a 125ml glass, this week.

A study for the supermarket found 85% of consumers did not know how many calories were in the average glass of wine and 63% did not consider wine when calculating up their calorie intake.

The research also revealed that, while 74% of adults know their recommended daily calorie intake, 58% did not know the guidelines for daily alcohol consumption.

The charity Drinkaware says a large (250ml) glass of wine with 13% ABV (alcohol by volume) can contain 228 calories, similar to an ice cream or two fish fingers.

The Sainsbury’s study found two in three consumers would like to see calorie labelling on alcohol, with 62% saying they limit their alcohol consumption to be healthier and 44% reporting that they try to limit drinking to manage their weight.

Helen Buck, chair of Sainsbury’s responsible drinking steering group, said: “It is clear from our research that shoppers are confused regarding the calories in alcohol. We hope that by clearly displaying this information on the bottle, we’ll be able to help our customers to make responsible choices more easily.”

Public health minister Jane Ellison said: “The use of calorie labelling on alcoholic drinks is a key way the industry can help support responsible drinking. Clear labelling has an important part to play in helping customers make healthier choices. Sainsbury’s are once again helping to lead the way in providing consumers with the information that they need to make informed choices. We welcome this move and urge others to follow suit.


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