Labelling for beer, cider and perry isn’t always transparent, making it hard to know what a product contains, where it’s come from, and what kind of quality consumers can expect.

CAMRA believes this has to change, and we’ve campaigned for labelling transparency throughout our history as an organisation. Unfortunately, misleading practices and unclear labelling are becoming increasingly common, and it’s time that Government take action to protect our rights as consumers.

Beer, cider and perry drinkers should be fully informed at the point they make a purchase and using a misleading or confusing method of sale or dispense shouldn’t be allowed.

These practices include things like using handpumps for products other than live beer, misleading marketing of global brands as if they came from small, independent producers, or unclear pricing where prices vary based on the time of day or during events or the price of a half pint is disproportionate.

Many makers of beer, cider and perry are proud of their ingredients and the provenance of their products, but unfortunately some labelling can be misleading. As consumers, we should be able to make an informed choice about the drinks we buy and the businesses we support.

CAMRA believes that drinks labelling should provide more information, but action from the Government is needed to end the confusing mix of standards currently used by the industry. This has already been done for food, but doesn’t apply to beer, cider and perry.