Three in four adults in Australia misunderstand alcohol labels and the claims they make about health.
Research from the Cancer Council showed 75 per cent of adults misunderstood at least one claim on a label, and believed that the alcoholic beverage could actually be better for them.
The research was published today in the Health Promotion International journal, and surveyed nearly 2000 people between the age of 18-65.
Researchers found the most common misconceptions were from labels claiming to be low sugar, those that advertised their calorie content, and claims about the carbohydrates they contained.
More than 60 per cent of adults also thought the type of alcohol you drink affects your health just as much as the amount you drink.
“This research reflects how the alcohol industry exploits consumer misperceptions of its marketing cues,” Cancer Council Victoria’s lead researcher on the study, Ashleigh Haynes, said.
“Health risks are not reduced by drinking specific types of alcoholic products, but our findings show how widespread this misperception is.”
Young adults were more likely to believe some alcoholic drinks are “better for you” than older adults.
“This is most likely because these cues are predominantly targeted at younger, more health-conscious audiences,” Haynes said.
“We’ve seen them becoming more common on alcohol labels at the same time as this younger generation reached the legal drinking age.”
Haynes also said that people who drank more than five days a week were more likely to believe health claims on a drink’s label, compared to people who only drank once a month.
Cancer Council’s new research comes as the national food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand weighs up proposals that would allow “low carb” and “low sugar” to stay on alcohol labels.
The Cancer Council is urging the food minister to consider higher standards.
“Australians have the right to know if the products they’re consuming can cause harm,” Julia Stafford, Deputy Chair of Cancer Council’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee, said.
“Alcohol companies shouldn’t be allowed to use marketing tactics that suggest their products are nutritious or ‘healthier’.”
