Wine, Beer and Spirits Could Get Nutrition Labels

June 5, 2013— -- intro: Wine, beer and spirits manufacturers may soon have to disclose calorie content and other nutritional information on bottles and cans. But for now, such labeling remains optional.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which is part of the Treasury Department, proposed a labeling rule in 2007 that would require alcoholic beverage manufacturers to include calories, carbohydrates, fat and protein content on their labels, but it has yet to make a decision on whether to implement the rule. It announced last week that manufacturers could add this information if they wanted to.

"What's interesting to me is that the reason why beverage companies want it and consumers want it is totally different," said Sara Bleich, a health policy professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "It's an example of two groups having different goals while having a sweet spot that seems to work for both."

Low-calorie beer manufacturers are hoping the labels will target people trying to lose weight, believing that's a way to boost sales, she said, adding that studies find that middle-income white women were most likely to pay attention to the labels.

And consumers want more information to make educated choices.

Even though many consumers don't understand food labels, the 15 percent or 20 percent of those who do can significantly lower their weight, Bleich said. This ultimately could lower obesity and have a positive impact on health care costs.

"I think more calories come from alcohol than people think," said dietitian Jessica Bennett, who works at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

On average, alcohol alone contains 7 calories per gram, which means it's almost as caloric as fat, Bennett said. Fat contains 9 calories per gram. Protein, on the other hand, contains 4 calories per gram.

Still, Bennett said she wasn't sure how new labels would affect alcohol consumption.

Consumers are at the mercy of their bartenders and waiters when they drink at restaurants and bars, because the bartender or waiter can give them a larger serving size, she said. Mixers, such as soda and juices can add calories, too.

"I definitely think it's going to be interesting to see how it goes," Bennett said.

What might you find on alcohol nutrition labels? We used the National Institutes of Health's alcoholic beverage calculator and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food-A-Pedia to find out.

quicklist: 1category: What You Could Find on Wine, Beer and Spirits Nutrition Labelstitle: Beerurl: text: According to the NIH, a 12-ounce serving of regular beer contains 149 calories. But a pint is 16 ounces, which means you're usually getting 198.67 calories when you order a draft at a bar.

That's a few calories short of a glazed cake doughnut with powdered sugar, according to the USDA's Food-A-Pedia.

quicklist: 2category: What You Could Find on Wine, Beer and Spirits Nutrition Labelstitle: Red Wineurl: text: Whether it's a merlot or a cabernet, 5 ounces of red wine contains 96 calories, according to the NIH's alcohol calorie calculator.

That's about the same as a tablespoon of margarine, which clocks in at 100 calories, according to Food-A-Pedia.

quicklist: 3category:What You Could Find on Wine, Beer and Spirits Nutrition Labelstitle: White Wineurl: text: Five ounces of white wine contains 90 calories, according to the alcohol calorie calculator on the NIH's website.

That's 15 calories more than a medium scoop of chocolate nonfat ice cream with no added sugar, according to Food-A-Pedia.

quicklist: 4category: What You Could Find on Wine, Beer and Spirits Nutrition Labelstitle: Pina Coladaurl: text: A pina colada tastes great, but those nine ounces of coconut milk, pineapple juice and rum contain 460 calories, according to the NIH alcohol calorie counter.

That's actually more than a Whopper Jr. from Burger King or a cheeseburger with mayonnaise and ketchup from Wendy's or Jack-in-the-Box, according to Food-A-Pedia. They clock in at 374 calories.

quicklist: 5category: What You Could Find on Wine, Beer and Spirits Nutrition Labelstitle: Margaritaurl: text: A margarita may be only 4 ounces, but that sweet-and-sour tequila drink is 168 calories.

That means a margarita is more caloric than the average single 1-ounce serving of potato chips, which contains 152 calories, according to Food-A-Pedia.