Europe's Distillers to List Calorie Counts in Transparency Push

(Bloomberg) -- Does a gin and tonic made with Tanqueray have more calories than one made with Beefeater? Drinkers are about to find out.

Liquor giants including Tanqueray owner Diageo Plc, Beefeater parent Pernod Ricard SA and Beam Suntory Inc. have signed an agreement that will see energy values and calorie information listed on about a quarter of bottles sold in the European Union, trade group SpiritsEurope said in a statement Tuesday. About two-thirds of bottles are expected to list the figures by 2022.

While groceries commonly include nutritional labels, such information has generally been absent from alcoholic beverages. Now drinkers are seeking more disclosure. In January, brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev NV said it was adding prominent labels detailing calories, sugar, carbohydrates and other contents of Bud Light to the beer’s packaging. Rival Carlsberg A/S took a similar step in 2015.

To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Buckley in London at tbuckley25@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Eric Pfanner at epfanner1@bloomberg.net, John Lauerman

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