Alcohol marketing in Australia and New Zealand faces strict regulation, yet many companies are finding ways to sidestep these rules. This article uncovers how alcohol companies breach the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code by making health and nutrition claims in their marketing.If you’re concerned about how alcohol marketers in Australia use misleading tactics, especially to target health-conscious individuals, you’ll want to understand how these strategies operate, what the law requires, and what actions are still needed.

Why Regulating Alcohol Marketing in Australia Matters

Alcohol consumption causes nearly 6,000 deaths and over 144,000 hospitalisations each year in Australia. The substance is linked to more than 200 disease and injury conditions. Because of these harm statistics, Australia and New Zealand prohibit health and nutrition content claims in the marketing of alcoholic products. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (standard 1.2.7) is designed to make sure these harmful products aren’t presented as healthy or necessary for wellbeing.

However, recent trends show that alcohol companies are increasingly using misleading tactics to make their products appear “better-for-you.” These strategies are especially targeted at younger generations seeking healthier lifestyles.

Report Overview: Systematic Violations by Alcohol Companies

A March 2025 report from the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE) reveals a worrying pattern. Researchers found that many alcohol companies across Australia and New Zealand continue to use prohibited health and nutrition claims, despite complaints and supposed regulatory oversight. Some claims remain online and in social media advertising even after complaints have been filed.

Key Findings

• Nineteen companies made prohibited claims in 2023–2024, with most breaching regulations for months without full correction.
• The health and nutrition claims fall into three main types:
  1. **Electrolyte Claims** (“electro-enhanced,” “loaded with electrolytes”) for beer, RTDs, seltzers.
  2. Probiotics, Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants in alcoholic kombucha, “hard” drinks, and spirits.
  3. Protein and Collagen Claims for vodka seltzers and RTDs, often using language promising “healthier hair, skin, and nails.”

These marketing strategies are highly misleading. They’re designed to give a “health halo” to drinks that carry significant risks.

Alcohol Marketing Tactics in Australia That Flout the Code

Alcohol companies cleverly combine prohibited claims with terms that are not yet regulated, like “natural,” “pure,” and “real.” They also use permitted content claims (like energy or carbohydrate content) to create the appearance that alcohol products are healthy options.

Some typical examples found in marketing include:

• “Beer without burden, brewed lite with electrolytes.”
• “If you are going to drink alcohol, you might as well pair it with probiotics, organic acids, enzymes and vitamins.”
• “Australia’s first protein infused vodka seltzer for healthier hair, skin and nails.”
• Social media Q&As pushing questions like “Is hard kombucha good for you?”

Some products even suggest hangover-prevention benefits, which can encourage people to drink more, undermining the point of regulating such claims in the first place.

Who Is Targeted by Health Claims in Alcohol Marketing?

Many of these claims prominently target younger Australians who are trying to make “healthier” choices. Marketers craft campaigns to lure health-conscious consumers or those actively trying to reduce their drinking. This approach blurs the lines, misleading people into believing that alcoholic products align with a healthy lifestyle.

Even more concerning is the use of social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for these claims. Here, unregulated language and algorithms mean that misleading claims have a long shelf-life and can rapidly reach wide audiences.

Weaknesses in Regulation and Enforcement

Despite well-defined standards, enforcement is sadly lacking. Here’s why:

No Proactive Monitoring

There is no central body proactively scanning for breaches. Instead, the burden falls on individuals to spot violations, find the relevant regulator in their state or territory, and submit complaints. This makes enforcement slow and patchy.

Fragmented Oversight

Food safety and health departments, as well as local councils, all play a role. The lack of a unified approach means inconsistent responses and a failure to act on many complaints.

Poor Outcomes Even After Complaints

The FARE report found that most complaints resulted in little to no change:

• Only two companies removed all prohibited claims.
• Most companies kept using the claims, only making cosmetic changes or removing them in some places but not others.
• On social media and product packaging, prohibited claims frequently remained after supposed “correction”.

This ongoing exposure to misleading information undermines the whole system, and alcohol companies continue to benefit from non-compliance.

The Risk of “Normalising” Harmful Alcohol Marketing in Australia

When companies repeatedly make health or nutrition claims for alcohol, it creates a “new normal” where these dangerous tactics go unchallenged. A similar scenario unfolded several years ago with carbohydrate claims. Repeated breaches eventually caused regulators to grant an exemption, permitting carbohydrate claims as an exception—even though their impact on perceptions remains unchanged.

A current loophole is with sugar claims. FSANZ regulations prohibit sugar claims for alcohol, but companies continue to use them, arguing these should be exceptions as part of carbohydrate content. While regulatory review drags on, the claims remain visible and slowly become entrenched.

Key Recommendations for Tackling Alcohol Marketing Tactics in Australia

Swift, Nationwide Enforcement

To stop misleading alcohol marketing in Australia, a national, proactive enforcement scheme is essential. Regulators need to work together—not in fragmented silos—to quickly remove prohibited claims across all platforms, including social media and physical packaging.

Clarity and Transparency in Processes

Complaint and enforcement processes must be simple and transparent, allowing consumers to clearly see actions and outcomes. This will help prevent prolonged non-compliance by companies.

Ongoing Public Awareness

Better education and warnings about the tactics used in alcohol marketing can empower people to see through health claims for what they are: efforts to sell inherently risky products using the language of wellness.

Misleading Health Claims in Alcohol Marketing: A Growing Concern

For people trying to make healthier choices, the rise of health-focused alcoholic marketing is a problem with real risks. The message is clear:

• Health and nutrition claims for alcohol are prohibited for good reasons.
• Alcoholic products cannot be made “healthy” or “good for you” through the addition of electrolytes, vitamins, protein, or trendy ingredients.
• The law exists to protect public health, not just to regulate business.

If you spot misleading health claims, consider reporting them—but know that stronger and quicker action from regulatory bodies is needed for real change.

Source: Fare