Latest news with #AustraliaNewZealandFoodStandardsCode
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Perth teens using common baking ingredient to get drunk
Perth teens are buying vanilla extract in bulk from supermarkets — and it's not for baking. They're drinking it to get drunk due to its high alcohol content. The alarming admission came about when GP Andrew Leech was talking to a 16-year-old patient, who nonchalantly divulged: 'heaps of teens do it'. Dr Leech was dumbfounded. 'I was shocked because I never knew it contained alcohol,' he said. An online search revealed a common brand of vanilla extract clearly stated on its label: 'Organic Alcohol 35 per cent by vol. (volume)'. Dr Leech, who runs the Garden Family Medical Clinic, said his patient's mother worked out what was going on after the vanilla extract kept disappearing from the family pantry. 'These social things that teens get up to I hear first hand in general practice, and I get very concerned about what's trending,' he said. 'Under-18 teenagers will do what they can to access alcohol, even if it means using fake IDs or getting their mates who are 18 to buy (alcohol) for them.' But vanilla extract was a new one, even for Dr Leech. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code stipulates any food or beverage containing more than 1.15 per cent alcohol by volume must be labelled as such. Not only does vanilla extract contain alcohol, it has a higher alcohol content than other, more commonly abused supermarket items, like mouthwash which can have an alcohol content of between 20 and 27 per cent. Dr Leech said he was shocked to learn such an accessible, everyday item was being so easily abused — and that young people buying a large number of bottles at the supermarket didn't seem to be raising any red flags. 'It's highly risky behaviour because it's very concentrated alcohol, it's unregulated in a way, and they're drinking it without any other people being aware of it,' he said. 'I would be very concerned if they are using that, because it is dangerous for your health and mental health.' It's the latest in a list of legal, everyday products that are prone to misuse, often with little regulatory oversight. Mouthwash, hand sanitiser, cologne, cough syrup, and now vanilla extract, all have some level of alcohol in them. Dr Leech is advising parents to not only keep an eye on their pantries, but also have an open conversation with their kids about underage drinking. While there was a substantial drop in teens aged 14-17 consuming alcohol between 2001 and 2016, underage drinking has remained static since then. About one in three teens aged 14-17 admitted consuming alcohol in the past 12 months, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-2023. 'Teenagers do silly things, they're going to take these sorts of risks,' Dr Leech said. 'It's about having those open conversations with your young person, and tell us (medical professionals) if you need help navigating this.' National Alcohol and Other Drugs Hotline 1800 250 015 Headspace 1800 650 890
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Batches of Ārepa's Brain Drink recalled after chipped glass injury
'If you have any of these affected products at home, don't drink them. You can return them to the place of purchase for a refund. If that's not possible, throw them out,' Arbuckle said. NZFS said it received notification of an associated injury and would work with Alphagen. 'As is our usual practice, NZFS will work with Alphagen to understand how this happened and implement corrective actions,' Arbuckle said. Code breach In 2023, Alphagen was told to remove health claims from its drinks after it promised that The Brain Drink 'makes brains work better'. The Herald published a full assessment of some of the brand's claims, titled 'Brain drink or fancy juice?' before action was taken by NZFS. Alphagen then posted a note on its website noting that some of its claims had not been substantiated. 'Some of our health claims are in breach of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Health claims attributed to Enzogenol (pine bark extract) and L-theanine have not been substantiated. Health claims attributed to the vitamin C content do not identify that vitamin C is responsible for the health benefit. We will be working with New Zealand Food Safety to remove or correct the health claims on the Ārepa product labels and advertising material.' The products later returned to market with pared-back labelling.
The Guardian
03-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
How do wines get away with not listing ingredients? I have allergies!
If ingredients must be labelled on food items, why can wineries get away with not listing egg, fish or milk on their labels with their wine? I'm allergic to fish and one glass can affect me. I'll often ask to look at the wine label in a bar and always when I purchase wine but often it doesn't state the ingredients. My son is old enough to drink and he's anaphylactic to dairy. It concerns me he will be served up something that could kill him when wine and alcohol and servers don't make this obvious. Truth in labelling and education around this is important, yet not mandatory. Why? – Brenda, Victoria Kat George says: The labelling of alcohol beverages is a contentious issue. There are regular calls for reform, primarily to do with the amount of information required on ingredients, health and nutrition. Despite being classified as food, alcoholic beverages are exempt from most of the labelling requirements that food products must comply with in Australia. As you have rightly identified, there are significant safety concerns when comprehensive information about the content of alcohol isn't readily available. Alcohol labelling in Australia is governed by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The Code requires certain statements to be visible on alcohol labels, which includes information about alcohol content, the number of standard drinks in the container and pregnancy warnings. Under the Code, alcoholic beverages are exempt from the mandatory food allergen labelling requirements for some (but not all) ingredients. According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (which publishes the Code), in alcohol production some allergens are processed in a way that renders them safe for consumers with allergies. This has to do with the fermentation process, which means that 'an ingredient list of ingoing ingredients would not accurately represent the components of the food as purchased'. For instance, distilled alcohol from wheat or whey is exempt from declaring wheat or milk. Beer and spirits do not have to declare barely, rye, oats or wheat. There's a bit more nuance when it comes to fish – fish must be declared on alcohol labelling where it is used as an ingredient, but isinglass, a kind of protein derived from the swim bladders of fish which is sometimes used as a clarifying agent in beer and wine, does not have to be declared. This is because alcohol that has been through the isinglass clarifying process is not considered a risk to consumers who are allergic to fish. Further, where egg or egg products or milk, or milk products are included in alcohol, the label must list those ingredients where they are 'present in the final product' (i.e. not altered to be 'safe' through the production process, as with distilled alcohol made from whey, described above). This all means that for you and your son, if there are allergens like fish and dairy present, the product must be labelled as such. While there is no obligation on servers to ask you if you have allergies when you're dining out, they do have obligations under the Code if you declare an allergy. When eating and drinking out, be sure to let your server know about your allergy. They are then obliged to help you navigate the menu accordingly. They're also obliged to let you know about the ingredients used in the food products they're serving, which means they should be checking and/or showing you the labels of the alcohol they're serving, so you can avoid any allergens. Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia has good resources on how you can help protect yourself from allergens in alcohol when you're dining out. Along with telling your server about your allergies, you can also ask to avoid cross contamination (for instance if you're having a cocktail, asking for it to be prepared in a clean shaker). It also helps to have some prepackaged drinks in mind, which you know are safe. Given the nature of your and your son's allergies, seeking out products that have third-party vegan certification could be a good place to start. Finally, if you're out and about, you've declared your allergy and the venue doesn't follow their obligations – for instance, doesn't show you the labels of the alcohol you're interested in – you can make a complaint to your local food enforcement authority. Do you have an Australian consumer issue you'd like Kat's advice on? Fill out the form below to let us know.
