Do alcohol product labels stating lower strength verbal description, percentage alcohol-by-volume, or their...

A previous research study concluded that wine and beer labelled as lower in strength increase consumption compared with the same drinks labelled as regular strength. The label included both a verbal and numerical descriptor of strength. The present study aimed to estimate the effect of each of these label components.

Adaptive, parallel group randomised controlled trial, comprising an internal pilot sample (n₁  = 90) and a confirmatory sample (n₂  = 57).

University bar laboratory in London, United Kingdom (UK).

A total of 147 weekly wine drinkers were sampled from a nationally representative English panel.

Participants were randomised to one of three groups to taste test wine in a bar-laboratory, varying only in the label displayed: (i) verbal descriptor only (Super Low); (ii) numerical descriptor only (4% alcohol by volume (ABV)); and (iii) verbal descriptor and numerical descriptor combined (Super Low 4%ABV) (each group n = 49).

The primary outcome was total volume (ml) of wine consumed.

Participants randomised to the numerical descriptor label group (4%ABV: M = 155.12 ml, B = 20.30; 95% CI = 3.92, 36.69; P value = 0.016) and combined verbal and numerical descriptor label group (Super Low 4%ABV: M = 154.59 ml, B = 20.68; 95% CI = 4.32, 37.04; P value = 0.014) drank significantly greater amounts than those randomised to the verbal descriptor label group (Super Low: M = 125.65 ml).

This bar laboratory study estimated that a greater quantity of 'lower' strength wine was consumed when the label included a numerical strength descriptor compared with a verbal only strength descriptor.