Hong Kong watchdog calls for better labelling rules after fifth of beer brands fail to report accurate alcohol levels
- Consumer Council tests 30 beer products, with six showing ‘considerable discrepancy’ between advertised alcohol content and actual amount
- Lack of requirement for certain beers to list calories means consumers dependent on accurate product labelling to determine caloric intake, it says
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has called for stricter beer labelling regulations after finding one in five brands tested had a “considerable discrepancy” between their advertised alcohol content and their actual levels.
The Consumer Council said on Monday that local regulations currently did not require beers with an alcohol content ranging from 1.2 per cent to 10 per cent to specify how many calories they contained. Those with a greater alcohol concentration generally had more calories, it found.
“The only thing a consumer can rely on is to look at the [alcohol-by-volume] level to determine the calorie level,” said Gilly Wong Fung-han, the council’s chief executive. “There are very specific regulations overseas that we can make reference to already that we advocate for better … regulation and legislation to govern alcohol content in Hong Kong.”
For the first time, the watchdog put beer under the spotlight, testing 30 products. It found six brands showed a “considerable discrepancy” between their advertised alcohol content and the actual amount.
The six were Young Masters 1842 Island Imperial IPA, Gweilo Lager, Yamaguchi Craft Beer Hagi Yuzu Ale, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, Marks & Spencer Strawberry & Cucumber Sour, and a wheat beer by Harbin.
According to the study covering international and local brands, drinking a can of beer containing more than 200 calories was the equivalent of eating one bowl of rice.
Tsingtao Stout contained 66 calories per 100ml, or 218 calories for every 330ml (11.15 ounce) can, the highest concentration among the brands tested. Hong Kong craft brewery Young Masters’ 1842 Island Imperial IPA had the second-highest concentration, at 57 calories per 100ml. The remainder had concentrations ranging between 33 and 46 calories per 100ml.
