New labelling regulations for energy content of wine

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has been developing new requirements for energy labelling on alcoholic beverages (Proposal P1059).  

On 26 March 2025 the FSANZ board approved the proposal, which will now be notified to The Food Ministers' Meeting. The approval report with further details of the P1059 changes can be downloaded at the FSANZ website here. The Food Ministers will have 60 days to consider whether to request FSANZ to review the approved standard. If no review is requested by the Ministers, these changes will be made to the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) commencing on the date of Gazettal.  

Importantly, the change will mean that alcoholic beverages sold in Australia must include a mandatory “energy statement” on the label as shown below: 

Generic requirements for statements on products at the point of sale to be legible, prominent and in English, as set out in section 1.2.1—24 of the Code, also apply to the energy statement. No additional requirements for legibility, size or location will be prescribed. 

Key points about the practical impact of the changes on wine producers include: 

• The method of calculation of the average energy content is specified in Schedule 11 of the Code and FSANZ is also developing an online calculation tool to assist producers.
  
  
• There will be a 3-year transition period from the date of Gazettal of the changes.
  
  
• There will be a ‘stock-in-trade’ allowance meaning that products packaged and labelled prior to the end of the transition period may be sold after the transition period without having to meet the new requirement (i.e., no need for re-labelling or over-stickering such stock).
  
  
• It currently appears that only one layer of packaging requires the energy statement, which may require further clarification, however, packaged wine that might be sold either singly or in multiples in cartons may need to have it on both layers. 

For more information contact Wine Victoria secretariat@winevictoria.org.au