Pregnancy warning now mandatory on alcoholic beverages in NZ

Packaged alcoholic drinks sold in New Zealand now need to carry labels warning that alcohol can cause harm to unborn babies.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) developed the labelling requirement, which is now mandatory and will be monitored in New Zealand by New Zealand Food Safety. Manatū Hauora/the Ministry of Health supports the new requirement.

Dr Harriette Carr, Manatū Hauora Deputy Director of Public Health, said, “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) can have a major impact on someone’s quality of life but it’s completely preventable.”

Each year in New Zealand, between 1800 and 3000 babies are born with FASD, which can result in heart defects, behavioural problems and intellectual disability. There is no cure for FASD.

“Warning labels on alcohol can support increasing public awareness and understanding of risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant,” Carr said.

The warning label is required on any packaged drink for retail sale that contains more than 1.15% alc/vol.

“The mandatory warning label is just one way to convey the message about the risk to unborn children from consuming alcohol while pregnant,” said New Zealand Food Safety Deputy-Director General Vincent Arbuckle.

“The label supports advice from doctors, midwives, Manatū Hauora and many other groups that there is no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed while pregnant. Drinking alcohol while pregnant can have lifelong consequences for unborn babies.”

As of 1 August, the labels are mandatory in New Zealand, a date which was announced in 2020. Many businesses chose to add the warning labels well in advance of this date.

Alcoholic beverages packaged and labelled before the transition period ended on 31 July can continue to be sold without a pregnancy warning label.

Image credit: iStock.com/Nemer-T