It is now mandatory for wines produced in the European Union to include ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the label. This has been the case since last December 8, when this regulation came into force, which both large and small producers will have to respect.
The new rules will apply to all wines and wine products obtained from the 2024 harvest, so consumers will not notice the changes for approximately a year. This means that everything that was produced before this date is exempt from this tax.
According to the standard, producers have two options. The first is to state the nutritional value, ingredients and allergens on the label. The second is to place the allergens and energy value on the packaging and present the complete nutritional information and the list of ingredients electronically with a QR.
If the information is provided electronically, it must also be visible and accessible to consumers, although this method of making the nutritional profile of the product known will undoubtedly be more complex to handle in the case of older people, who do not master these technologies.
Some producers have already begun to adapt to the norm, as is the case of Gerard Batllevell, owner of the Joan Simó winery and coordinator of the Porrera Winery Association, points out the ACN. The entity has hired a company specialized in the creation of QR codes.
This producer, however, is not sure that consumers will read the codes and look for information on the winery websites. From their point of view, the most interesting change in this regulation is that of allergens, which will surely benefit people with intolerances.
The objective of this standard is to end the differences between wine and food products, since in this and other alcoholic beverages it was not mandatory to provide the ingredients and nutritional values.
