Online nutritional disclosure of alcoholic beverages in South Africa is predominantly limited to alcohol by volume, with key nutrients omitted.

Abstract

Objective: In South Africa, as in many other countries, alcoholic beverages are not required to disclose nutritional information beyond alcohol by volume (ABV), limiting consumer awareness of energy and sugar intake. This study evaluated the extent of online nutritional information disclosure for alcoholic beverages in South Africa.

Design: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data collected between April and September 2025. Alcoholic beverages were identified from the top five retailers by market share. A total of 3534 unique products were classified into six categories: beers, ready-to-drink beverages (RTD), red wines, white wines, sparkling wines and rosés, and spirits. Nutritional information was extracted from official brand websites, and a disclosure score was assigned based on nutrients reported. Data were analysed using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Setting: South Africa, April-to-September 2025.

Participants: N/A (product-level analysis).

Results: ABV was disclosed for 83·3 % of beverages, while sugar was reported for only 33·0 % and < 3 % disclosed other nutrients or ingredient lists. Disclosure varied significantly by category (P < 0·0001): beers showed the widest variability (median score = 1, IQR = 1-6), white wines scored slightly higher (median = 2) and spirits the lowest (median = 0). In contrast, RTD showed consistently low disclosure, with a narrow distribution of scores (median = 1, interquartile range = 1-1).

Conclusions: Most alcoholic beverages sold in South Africa predominately disclose ABV and often omit disclosure of other key nutrients. These findings underscore the need for mandatory nutritional information disclosure for alcoholic beverages to support informed consumer choices, reduce overall alcohol consumption and address alcohol-related health risks.