G/TBT/N/NZL/90  
4 October 2019  
(19-6429) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Standards New Zealand  
Tel: +64 4 498 5990  
wto@standards.co.nz   
www.standards.govt.nz   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Imported 
and domestically produced packaged alcoholic beverages required to bear a label for sale 
in Australia and New Zealand.  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Proposal P1050 
Pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic beverages: Assessment Report (93 page(s), in 
English)  
6. Description of content:  The proposal considers changing the Australia New Zealand 
Food Standards Code (the Code) to require mandatory pregnancy warning labels on 
packaged alcoholic beverages sold in Australia and New Zealand.  
FSANZ undertook an assessment and developed a propos ed variation to the Code. 
Standards affected are:  
a. Standard 1.1.2 Definitions used throughout the Code;  
b. Standard 1.2.1 Requirements to have labels or otherwise provide information, 
and; 
c. 2.7.1 Labelling of alcoholic beverages and food containing alcohol.  
The proposed variation requires a pregnancy warning label on most packaged alcoholic 
beverages with more than 1.15% alcohol by volume with prescribed legibility and format 
for the label. The pregnancy warning label includes a specified pictogram, signal word s 
"Health Warning" and statement "Any amount of alcohol can harm your baby". The 
location of the warning label is not prescribed. A 2 year transition period is provided, with 
an exemption for alcoholic beverages packaged and labelled before the end of the 
transition period from having to carry the pregnancy warning label.  G/TBT/N/NZL/90  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can be associated with various types of 
harm to the unborn child. These harms may include physical, cognitive, behavioural and 
neurodevelopmental disabilities with possible life -long implications. Fetal Alcohol 
Spectrum D isorder (FASD) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of possible 
harms. FASD is preventable by avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The 
objective of the pregnancy warning label is to provide a clear and easy to understand 
trigger to remi nd pregnant women, at both the point of sale and the potential point of 
consumption, to not drink any alcohol, with the ultimate objective to protect human health 
and safety and enhance consumer information and labelling.  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Australia  New Zealand Food Standards Code (English). Available at 
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx   
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Adoption on 31 March 2020, pending Government 
consideration.  
Proposed date of entry into force:  Entry into force on 31 March 2022, after a 2 year 
transition period.  
10. Final date for comments:  24 November 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
The assessment summary and draft Code are available (in English) from the Food 
Standards Australia New Zealand website:  
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Pages/P1050Pregnancywarninglabels
onalcoholicbeverages.aspx  
Email: standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au