Pregnancy Warning Label

Pregnancy Warning Label

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Australia is on the cusp of finally getting the pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products that the community needs, deserves and has long demanded.

The proposed government-mandated labelling scheme being developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) will be a world first. This is an opportunity to implement a pregnancy warning label consistently and comprehensively across all alcohol products and most importantly have a pictogram and warning text, prescribed in red, white and black on most products.

After a long 23 year wait, this is the one opportunity to get the labels correct.

BUT HERE’S THE PROBLEM

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Australia is on the cusp of finally getting the pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products that the community needs, deserves and has long demanded.

The proposed government-mandated labelling scheme being developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) will be a world first. This is an opportunity to implement a pregnancy warning label consistently and comprehensively across all alcohol products and most importantly have a pictogram and warning text, prescribed in red, white and black on most products.

After a long 23 year wait, this is the one opportunity to get the labels correct.

BUT HERE’S THE PROBLEM

There are several issues, if not immediately addressed that will weaken the effectiveness of the new labelling scheme. 

  1. The proposed size of the pictogram and warning text is far too small. If implemented, the warnings will be well below the minimum standard set by FSANZ themselves for other warning labels.
  2. A smaller bottle does not mean smaller harm. The proposal that the full warning mark (pictogram and warning text) need only apply to products 200ml and above, will fail to cover products that are small in size but high in alcohol by volume.
  3. The proposed implementation time of two years is unreasonably long. Considering the urgency of the issue there is no good reason it should take this long.
  4. Pregnancy warning labels are not a silver bullet. Labelling reform is part of a wider prevention strategy to support women during pregnancy and these changes need to be accompanied by a comprehensive public awareness campaign. 

These deficiencies can be easily addressed. We seek your help in calling on FSANZ to ensure that:

  1. The size of the pictogram and warning text on products greater than 100ml needs to be increased, so these are easily visible to consumers.
  2. All alcohol products greater than 100ml have the full warning mark (pictogram and warning text) and that only containers less than 100 ml be permitted to display the pictogram by itself. 
  3. All products will have a warning within 12 months after the gazettal of changes to the Food Standards Code. A 12-month transition period has successfully been applied in other countries and this will allow sufficient time for industry to adapt labelling to comply with the changes. 
  4. A comprehensive public education campaign be funded to inform consumers about the changes, which should commence immediately prior to mandatory application of the labels.  

The first application for pregnancy warning labels was made in 1996 and consumers have waited for a long time to be fully informed about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

At this critical moment, we cannot fall short of implementing the most effective labelling scheme possible. 

These changes will put the health and lives of women and children first through the introduction of a world-class pregnancy warning scheme on all packaged alcohol products.  

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We need your help to ensure consumers are fully informed about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy

Please sign the letter and call on FSANZ to address the issues in the proposed labelling scheme to ensure we get the most comprehensive pregnancy warnings possible. 

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