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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 2000, Official Report, columns 362-63W, about merchandising and packaging of alcoholic drinks, (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the provision in the Code of Practice about avoiding artificially bright colours in the product and the packaging has been implemented; [134071] (2) if he will make a statement on how the taste and texture of beers, ciders and lagers are assessed when deciding if the product misleads about its true alcoholic nature. [134073] Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since September 1997, there have been five complaints that alcoholic products or their packaging have been more likely to appeal to under-18s than adults by reason of artificially bright colours. Of these complaints, two have been upheld by the independent complaints panel for the Portman Group's code of practice. The panel has also upheld two complaints (one relating to the same product as one of the complaints mentioned above) where a product's texture contributed to its excessive appeal to under-18s. It is a matter for the panel to decide how to take relevant factors such as texture into account when considering the question of a product's appeal to under-18s. I understand that the code is likely to be reviewed next year.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

355 c45W; 134071;134073

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Complaints Codes of practice Alcoholic drinks Beer Cider Labelling Packaging Marketing Misleading advertising Young people

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk