Let’s take Spain as an example. Eating and drinking (alcohol) have gone almost hand in hand since time immemorial as part of what we call socialization. But things seem to be changing in new generations and society. All of this comes from a rarely asked question about alcohol: What do we put into our bodies?

Ireland will be the first country to question this deep-rooted part of our culture, and will do so by directly “pointing” to alcohol.

Alcohol, calories and more. La Voz de Galicia published a report in which some experts analyzed what is behind alcohol from a nutritional perspective, and it seems clear that among the many risks and problems of alcohol, caloric intake is something that cannot be ignored. Not only that. Beyond the ingredients and ingredients of all alcoholic beverages, there is another problem that arises from this: the signals it sends to the brain increase the feeling of hunger and cause hormonal imbalance, which facilitates excess weight, another scourge of modern societies.

Because it really has too many calories. Two beers or glasses of wine are around 240 calories (quite a stir), and two cubas con cola (extra sugar) adds up to 700 calories. Given that Spain, for example, is on the podium among the top alcohol-consuming countries in the world, with an average annual consumption of 11 liters of alcohol per person over 15 years of age, and overweight and obesity are rapidly increasing, 55% of Spanish adults are currently suffering from at least 55% of Spanish adults. He feels that clarity about what we are drinking should be stated and stated somewhere on the packaging. The problem is that it isn’t.

Ireland has a pioneering plan. The country decided last year that it would be the first country in the world to require health labeling on alcoholic beverages from May 22, 2026. In other words, alcoholic beverage packaging will be required to display information such as calorie content, risks of cancer and liver disease, or the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. In addition, consumers will be asked to direct consumers to the Irish Health Service Executive website for more information about alcohol consumption.

Reactions two years after labeling. Frankly, not everyone liked the offer. The entire industry revolving around the production of alcoholic beverages showed concern. For example, one of Italy’s largest farmers’ unions made a very critical assessment, stating that “there is a risk of opening the door to other legislation that could negatively affect consumer preferences.” European spirits organization SpiritsEUROPE has also lodged a formal complaint asking the European Commission to investigate the new policy.

On a national level, given that Ireland was the first country to implement these rules, this means products sold there will need private labels. A possible unintended consequence could be that Ireland loses some of its alcohol products if producers are not willing to comply with these standards.

Alcohol and new generations. While there is skepticism among alcohol producers on the continent, it seems that a “social” change has occurred in recent years. EU households spent €128 billion on alcohol in 2021, but there is a noticeable decline in alcohol consumption among younger generations. In this sense, Victor Warhem, representative of the European Policy Center in France, stated that the behavior of young generations is gradually moving away from alcohol and pointed out that “it is less and less associated with celebration and entertainment.”

In fact, it is obvious that low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beverages are a growing sector for the industry. According to research in Nutrients Journal, “Over time, European consumers are increasingly purchasing and drinking products containing less alcohol, with nearly two-fifths doing so to drink less alcohol.” In Spain, heavy alcohol consumption among the population between the ages of 15 and 64 decreased by 2.7 percent compared to 2020 and increased from 19.4 percent to 16.7 percent in 2022.

In short, things seem to be changing when it comes to alcohol, and Ireland will be the first to notice it.

Image | John Cafazza

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