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Consumers have not been able to know how many kcal is in a can of beer and how the kcal is different for each type of soju. Alcohol did not have to be labeled with nutrition information, but authorities are considering changing it.
Reporter Jae Hee-won reports.
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In this era, it is essential to check the calories of even a small snack.
However, alcohol, a typical high-calorie food, is different.
Except for some imported beers, there are no nutritional labeling.
A light beer that is advertised as having fewer calories than regular beer.
If it is less than 30kcal per 100ml, you can use the name 'light', but it is difficult to compare how low the calories are because the total calories are not displayed anywhere in the beer.
How many calories will alcohol have?
One bottle of soju has an average caloric content of 400 kcal, far exceeding that of a bowl of rice.
A can of 500ml beer has the same calories as a slice of pizza.
In 2017, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommended labeling nutritional information for alcoholic beverages, but there was no enforcement.
Alcohol consumption is increasing, but the disclosure of information directly related to health is left to the discretion of the manufacturer.
[Lee Hyo-jeong / Guro-gu, Seoul: If my favorite beer has low kcal, I think I will choose it.]
The government plans to make calorie labeling mandatory for all alcoholic beverages such as soju, beer, makgeolli and wine from the first half of the year.
[Moon Jong-suk / Fair Trade Commission Consumer Safety Information Division: Write down what you think is
important in consumer decision-making.
We also decided to review the labeling of various nutritional indicators such as sugar, carbohydrates, and cholesterol contained in it.
(Video coverage: Jeong Seong-hwa, video editing: Jo Moo-hwan)