Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have lent support to include labels with calorie values on all alcoholic drinks.
Justifying their demand, public health experts said that such labels were important for consumers to make informed choices. The experts also see this as a way of halting the rising rates of obesity.
While similar labels are printed on food packaging, most alcoholic beverages have been exempt from this till now.
Though the MEPs have voiced their support for the move, actual implementation might take months or even years to become law.
MEP for the East of England Glenis Willmott who supported the move was quoted by The Express as saying: "Europe is still the heaviest-drinking region in the world but many people don't realize that a large glass of wine contains the same number of calories as a slice of cake.
"In order to reduce the burden of alcohol-related harm, we must make sure people are given clear information to enable them to make informed choices."
A recent survey had revealed that around 80% of the 2,117 adults sampled did not know the amount of calories they were consuming through alcoholic beverages.
The debate at the parliament came a day after chairwoman of the Royal Society for Public Health Fiona Sim linked the rise in the number of obese people in Britain to the unawareness in consumers about the calories in alcohol.
"Information provided to consumers must be honest and useful. There is no reason why calories in alcohol should be treated any differently from those in food," said Sim.
Image: The MEPs have said that calorie labelling of alcohol is essential as people need to be aware of what they are consuming. Photo: courtesy of marin/freedigitalphotos.net.
