Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
those for the food industry in general - although they do differ considerably
between countries. For example, in many countries (such as Australia, EU
Member States, New Zealand and South Africa), beers and cereal-based spirits
are exempted from requirements to label for cereals containing gluten. Likewise,
beer and wine require no label statement regarding the use of isinglass as a fi ning
agent.
Some recent trends and developments regarding alcoholic beverages are
discussed in some depth by Hudson and Buglass (2011). The modern alcoholic
beverage industry continues to be clearly divided between giant multinational
companies with global brands and a revival of often localised small-scale
manufacturers (e.g. 'microbreweries', 'craft' breweries, 'artisanal' distilleries and
'boutique' wineries) with portfolios of individualised (and often 'upmarket' or
specialist) products offered to the consumer.
Changes in alcoholic beverage consumption habits are also apparent with the
clear growth of wine industries in countries with marginal climates (for example
England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark) and a general global
growth in wine and spirit drinking alongside the sustained revival of traditional
historic favourites such as cask conditioned and top fermented beers, cider and
perry products. This trend also appears to coincide with a rise in popularity of
fl avoured alcoholic beverages (FABs or 'alcopops').
Although it is diffi cult to accurately predict future alcoholic beverage trends,
it is evident that a collection of common global topics has been identifi ed as the
key driver that will likely mould the research, development and subsequent
commercial marketing of future products. These trends are largely connected
to alcohol and 'health' (e.g. moderated consumption, weight management,
health benefi ts and health warnings), 'value' (price sensitivity, authenticity),
'sensory appeal' (premium products for indulgence, sophistication alongside
aroma and taste provided from unusual and novel fl avour innovations) and
'ethics' (reduction in packaging, fair trade agreements and organic products)
(Datamonitor 2011a).
The general theme of these trends appears to be strongly mirrored throughout
the global markets (Datamonitor 2010, 2011b,c,d). The Datamonitor research
reports also suggest that premium alcoholic beverage products have shown
a positive growth curve, even during the global economic downturn, and this
will most likely lead to an increase in the preferred use of premium natural
ingredients in alcoholic beverages as well as a move to clearly label the
'naturalness' of such products. For example, although there are no mandatory
ingredient labelling requirements regarding fl avoured rice wines and spirits in
eastern Asian countries, such as South Korea, many companies provide voluntary
label information (origin of raw material, nutritional data, etc.). However, the
Korean Consumer Union recently pressed for mandatory inclusion of ingredient
information on labels, especially with regard to artifi cial sweeteners. It is possible
that the demand for further labelling may be on the horizon, in line with many
other countries.
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