What allergens are in alcohol?
Alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, and spirits all contain potential allergenic ingredients. These include:
- Grapes
- Barley
- Hops
- Yeast
- Wheat
- Rye
Accurate labelling is vital for those who suffer with allergies. Identifying allergens in alcohol gives people the agency to make informed decisions when deciding which product to buy.
What do I have to declare?
Current regulations stipulate that any drink over 1.2% alcoholic strength is subject to label that drink with the alcoholic strength, any of the 14 most common allergens, and the date of durability (not required if the alcoholic strength is more than 10%).
It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended by the government, that companies include recommendations on alcohol limits, warnings about drinking while pregnant, and alcohol units per container.
Nutritional information, ingredients, number of units of alcohol in the container, and more are not mandatory, instead left up to the producer.
How can I make it easy to stay informed?
If you are involved in the labelling of any food products or beverages containing alcohol, make sure to include a full ingredients list.
Understanding the ingredients which are used in the production of alcoholic products, including source ingredients where applicable, is part of the process.
Collecting that information at a product and supplier level will help to increase ingredient transparency, in turn making it easier for consumers to make safe, informed decisions about their purchases.
A software solution such as ARCUS® Product Information Management (PIM) or Supplier Information Management (SIM) can help foster better visibility over product information, including the presence of allergens in alcohol.
By mandating suppliers to fill in customised questionnaires for supplier and product data, information is collated for secure access by those who need it. This process supports faster on-boarding, more accurate data, and supports a single version of the truth for clear, transparent processes.
Risks are managed early in the operation, and with integrations into third-party databases like Fourth, Brakes, Bidfood, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, and more, you can be assured that product suppliers are upholding the standards your company values.
Intrigued by the possibilities? Book a consultation with our team of experts to discuss.