First Survey of Non-Alcoholic Beer Labels by Producer Type

Non-alcoholic beverages that mirror alcohol are growing in popularity and availability. Regulations are needed to maximise their potential for positive public health impact. In the United States, labelling of non-alcoholic beers (defined as < 0.5% alcohol by volume) is largely self-regulated. The objective of this work was to characterise US non-alcoholic beer labelling practices.

We purchased non-alcoholic beers from 47 distinct producers available from an online national distributor. We coded labels for: alcohol content (terminology [alcohol-free or non-alcoholic] and alcohol by volume [%]), nutritional content (calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat), health warnings (pregnancy, alcohol-sensitivity, general health and other) and age-restrictions (assessed in relation to state-wide age restrictions). We report descriptives split by producer type: non-alcoholic only versus full-strength and non-alcoholic (dual).

Of the 47 labels evaluated, all reported alcohol content using both alcohol by volume and terminology. Among beers from non-alcoholic only producers, 80% included caloric, carbohydrate, protein and fat content, compared to 60% from dual producers. Less than a quarter of labels included any type of health warning (all from dual producers) and only five labels communicated an age restriction (all from dual producers, none made in or imported to states with age restrictions).

Variation in non-alcoholic beer labelling highlights inconsistencies that could be addressed by federal regulations. Non-alcoholic only producers had labels more consistent with soft drink labels, whereas more dual producers included a health warning or age-restriction (though this practice was still rare).