Although this regulation does not (yet) apply for distilled spirit (art. 9e WEL), it is useful to take into account that this might be the case within a few years.
Officially rules about ingredient listing for all alcoholic beverages should be layed down at 1 July 2001 at the latest. Of course there will be a transition period in which all the products produced in the preceding period can still be sold.
In some EU countries a rule for ingredient labelling already exists, e.g. for liqueurs in Luxemburg. Most countries don’t have such a rule, however. On the basis of the ‘Cassis de Dyon’ decree a member state is not allowed to refuse products without ingredient labelling from other member states (the liqueurs for Luxemburg excepted).
If you volunteer to do the labelling of ingredients just make sure you do it completely and in the right way (so not according to one’s own insight)! (see *)
When the indication "natural flavours" in a voluntary ingredient labelling is used, strict restrictions apply for the used flavours or aroma preparations (see Warenwetbesluit Aroma’s).
- The existing rules for the labelling ingredient of other than distilled spirits are:
- Some ingredients may be indicated with a group name (art. 7, par. 1 and 2a WEL)
- Other ingredients have to be indicated by a category name followed by the concerning EEG-number or name. (art. 7, par. 2b WEL)
- Aromas have to be indicated with the term "aromas" or a more specific indication or a description of the aroma (art 7, par. 3a WEL)
- Ingredient labelling should be according to decreasing weight, preceded by the word "ingredients" (art. 6, par 1e WEL).
