Reply From DEFRA

[Mark C]

Thank you for your email regarding the labelling of spirit caramel in whisky. Your email has been passed to me as a member of the team negotiating the food information regulation for the UK.

As you may be aware the reason that the use of additives such as spirit caramel in whisky is not required to be labelled is because alcoholic drinks are exempt from the ingredients listing requirements under the current labelling rules. These requirements are European regulations that are currently under review as part of the negotiations on food information for consumers regulation. Discussions on this dossier are ongoing and it is difficult to comment at this stage on whether these provisions are likely to change. Any changes to the labelling provisions would not be in place until early 2012.

In relation to your comments we have noted your views and we wish you the best of luck with your endeavour.