Foodstuffs cans booze-branded wine gums

Grocery giant Foodstuffs has removed alcohol-labelled wine-gums amid concerns about the sweet's influence on children.

Invercargill Pak'N Save bulk bins had stocked a wine-gum sweet branded with the names of alcoholic drinks.

They include vodka, rum and port, and come in many bright colours.

Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) chief executive officer Gerard Vaughan was not sure how appropriate it was to brand lollies with the names of alcohol products.

"What is the point? Are they trying to set up a connection between children and alcohol?" he said.

Mr Vaughan planned to ask Pak'N Save owner Foodstuffs if it thought it was socially responsible to sell the sweets in light of New Zealand's problems with underage drinking.

Additionally, the Advertising Standards Authority has broadened its code of advertising to cover a broader range of alcohol promotions and advertising. "It would be interesting to see if this meets the threshold in the new code," Mr Vaughan said.

Invercargill mother Sally Bodkin, a parent of four children aged 4 to 9, considered the branding gratuitous and unnecessary.

"We've got enough of an issue with alcohol already in this country without having it on lollies."

Her children were often tempted by the bulk bins, but this confectionery was now off limits.

Foodstuffs South Island retail operations general manager Alan Malcolmson said: "Now that this has been pointed out to us, we will drop the names on these particular products,"

Mr Malcolmson said in a statement. He said the sweets did not contain alcohol and they didn't taste like rum, whisky or gin, or any other of the named brands.

Alac welcomed the move. "It is great to see them minimise the links between alcohol and children," Mr Vaughan said.

Invercargill Pak'N Save operations manager Warren Bevin yesterday said the supermarket had pulled the wine gums after two years of selling them.