Date of effect: 18 July 2023
Attention
Importers of alcoholic drinks intended for retail sale.
Purpose
To advise importers of alcoholic drinks intended for retail sale about the requirements for pregnancy warning labelling and to raise awareness of guidance material that has been developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
Key points
From 31 July 2023, packaged and individual alcoholic drink products (with more than 1.15% alcohol by volume):
- for retail sale
- or suitable for retail sale without any further processing, packaging or labelling
will be required to comply with the pregnancy warning labelling requirements.
This means imported alcoholic drinks intended for retail sale must be labelled with the required warning statement unless the imported drink will be labelled with the statement (post border) before being sold.
FSANZ has developed detailed guidance material to support the pregnancy warning labelling requirements.
The guidance material on pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic drinks provides information relevant to importers, suppliers, distributors and retailers and is available on the FSANZ website.
On 4 May 2023, optional alternative requirements for pregnancy warning labels for alcohol being sold with corrugated cardboard outer packaging (for example; ‘cases of beer’) were introduced by FSANZ.
Background
Requirements for pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic drinks were introduced on 31 July 2020.
Example of the required pregnancy warning label.
The required size of the warning label and font size is dependent upon the volume of the individual alcoholic drink unit.
Businesses selling or supplying alcohol for retail sale in carboard boxes (that won’t be further processed, packaged or labelled) have until 1 February 2024 to ensure post-printed corrugated cardboard outer packaging displays the optional alternative simple warning mark (all black contrast colour).
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