Feedback wanted on bid to lower wine-alcohol limit

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comments on the costs and benefits of a proposal to reduce the minimum alcohol content in Australian produced wine.

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia applied on behalf of the industry last year to reduce the allowed minimum alcohol content in Australian produced wine from eight per cent to 4.5 per cent alcohol/volume.

The reduction would put Australian produced wine in line with the European Union and would mean Australian wine that is below eight per cent in alcohol would be defined as ‘wine’.

The current legislation mandates that wine under eight per cent alcohol be labelled as a ‘wine product’ in Australia.

FSANZ chief executive Steve McCutcheon says the benefits of the amendment would outweigh any associated costs.

“It will also address a regulatory disadvantage for the Australian wine industry compared to imported wine which has no minimum alcohol requirements,” McCutcheon said.