Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What are the legal labeling requirements for non-alcoholic canned drinks in the UK?
Non-alcoholic drinks have stricter labeling requirements than alcoholic beverages. The following information is legally required on the label: - **Ingredients list** — A full list of all ingredients and additive names must be displayed - **Nutritional information** — Core nutritional data is mandatory, including a "use by" date - **Safety information** — Details of when the product must be used by once opened, plus a note asking consumers to return the product if packaging is damaged - **Product and brand name** — The name of the product and brand - **Alcoholic strength** — For drinks containing over 1.2% alcohol by volume, the alcoholic strength by volume (as a percentage) must be stated A practical reference point: members recommend checking existing canned soft drinks to see how they comply with these requirements in practice.
What branding, naming and labeling risks should you watch out for when developing a new drinks product?
Product naming and branding can trigger regulatory and reputational problems if not carefully reviewed. Members shared several cautionary examples: - **Problematic terminology**: Words like "spiked" carry concerning connotations (association with drink-spiking/date rape) and should be avoided or replaced. - **Cartoon characters and milk claims**: The Portman Group will scrutinize products using milk in the name or cartoon fonts on the label, particularly if the combination could appeal to under-18s. - **Unintended double meanings**: The KILIRA case—a Bacardi cream liqueur that could be read as "Kill-IRA"—nearly launched before someone caught the problematic association. Bright orange liquid and a July 12th launch date (significant in Northern Ireland) compounded the issue. Members emphasized the importance of catching these before test launch. - **Implicit negative associations**: Avoid names that conjure unwanted imagery (e.g., "Dirty Banana") or cultural references that could alienate audiences. **Caveats**: These issues typically surface during internal review or through the Portman Group's code compliance process. It's worth stress-testing brand names and label designs with a diverse group before committing to production, particularly if launching in the UK or Ireland where regulatory scrutiny is high.
Can you create a single back-of-bottle label that complies with both US and UK regulations?
No—members confirm this is not feasible. The US and UK have significantly different back-of-pack (BOP) requirements, and even some front-of-pack (FOP) differences. The US requires a Surgeon General warning, whilst both countries require importer/distributor information with different specifications. Space constraints make a compliant dual-market label impractical, and this applies across all product categories including non-alcoholic drinks. Members recommend treating US and UK labels as separate SKUs rather than attempting to combine them.