Company: Mulligans (Dumfries) Ltd
Breach: Yes
Final Decision: 16 March 2009
Considered under the 4th Edition of the Code.
Complaint summary
“We submit that Yegaar is not in compliance with the Portman Group’s Packaging Code in that nothing on the front label indicates that the product is of an alcoholic nature.
- The front label contains no product descriptor nor any other indication that the product contains alcohol.
- The front label does not show any indication of alcoholic strength.
We would further support our complaint by observing that the product descriptor on the back label describes a category unrecognised by the EC alcohol categories and that the alcoholic strength is not printed in accordance with UK packaging regulations and is hence again not reinforcing the alcoholic nature of the product. Other customary consumer indications of the alcoholic nature of the product such as health warnings are also omitted.”
Complainant
Cellar Trends Ltd
Decision
Under Code paragraph 3.1
The alcoholic nature of a drink should be communicated on its packaging with absolute clarity.
UPHELD
The company’s submission
The company did not respond to the complaint.
The Panel’s assessment
The Panel noted that there was no indication on the front label as to the content of the bottle. It therefore considered that the packaging failed to make the alcoholic nature of the product clear as required by the Code. Accordingly, it found the packaging in breach of Code paragraph 3.1.
Action by company
The company agreed to amend the label in line with advice from the Portman Group’s Advisory Service.