On 2/15/22, the European Parliament cancelled a proposal to include a ‘warning on alcoholic beverage labels about the correlations between alcohol consumption and cancer risks.
MEPs thus contradicted the conclusions of their own BECA committee (
Beating Cancer Plan
), to pander to the lobbies of Big Alcohol and wine producers.
Alcohol and cancer risks, why the warnings
Proposed changes to the labeling of alcohol (>1.2% alc. vol.), including wine, included the introduction of a warning(warning label) about the risks of cancer occurrence.
The National Institute of Health attributes alcohol as the cause of about 180,000 cases and 92,000 cancer deaths were caused by alcohol, in Europe, in 2018.
About 11 percent of all cancer cases caused by alcohol are attributed to ‘moderate’ daily consumption, which does not exceed one bottle of beer (500 ml), 2 glasses of wine (200 ml) or 60 ml of hard liquor per day. The risks increase significantly as the amount of alcohol consumed increases. (1)
A favor to business
Despite the scientific evidence, the Europarliament has espoused the argument of the alcoholic beverage industrialists. To state that ‘there isa difference between harmful and moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, and it is not consumption itself that is a risk factor for cancer.’
On this premise, Parliament removed any reference to the introduction of health warnings on labels. The only concession to the scientific evidence on the correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer is the call for improved labeling of alcoholic beverages, introducing information on moderate and responsible alcohol consumption.
The review of the BECA report
In the version approved by the Europarliament, the BECA report ‘stresses that harmful alcohol consumption is a risk factor for many different types of cancer and calls for, among other things:
– Promotion of actions to reduce and prevent alcohol-related harm as part of a revised EU alcohol strategy, including a European zero alcohol strategy for minors,
– better consumer information by improving the labeling of alcoholic beverages to include moderate and responsible consumption information and introduction of mandatory ingredient and nutrition information,
– prohibition of alcohol advertising and sponsorship at sporting events when such events are mainly attended by minors‘. (2)
Big Alcohol wins
The European Parliament’s decision is in line with what OIV, the International Organization of Vine and Wine, called for in early February at a meeting with WHO in Geneva to discuss the role of wine in policies concerning alcoholic beverages and in order to distinguish it from other industrial beverages.
Several wine and beer associations consider the introduction of a warning label on alcohol to be a harbinger of great harm to the industry. And they recall the various studies that indicate how responsible and moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages-100-200 ml a day-can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
Fermented beverages
There are two types of alcoholic beverages, fermented and distilled. Fermented beverages are those that come from fruits or grains, where sugar is fermented into alcohol by the action of yeasts. The most common fermented beverages are wine and beer:
– wine is the product of the fermentation of fresh grapes or must. With added alien sugars, in countries where ‘sugaring‘ is allowed and also in Italy, for the ‘presa di spuma‘ of sparkling wines. Its alcohol content generally varies between 11 and 14.5 degrees. And it is among other things possible to dealcoholize it, partially or completely,
– beer is made from malt, obtained by processing barley and other grains. With added, sometimes and unfortunately, alien sugars and additives. To get the bitter flavor, hops are added. Its alcohol content usually ranges between 4-6 degrees. It too, moreover, is available in a non-alcoholic version.
Spirits
Distilled beverages are obtained by removing by heat, through distillation, some of the water contained in fermented beverages.
The basic principle of this action is that alcohol evaporates at 78 degrees and water at 100 degrees. Distillates therefore have more alcohol, between 30 and 50 degrees, than fermented beverages.
Alcohol content
Alcohol content is expressed in degrees and measures the volume of absolute alcohol in 100 cc, that is, the percentage of alcohol contained a beverage. In a 13-degree wine, for example, 13 cc out of 100 cc is absolute alcohol, 13%. The alcoholic strength is expressed in vol%.
From a health perspective, it is useful to determine absolute ethanol grams. To calculate the amount in an alcoholic beverage, simply multiply the degrees by the density of the alcohol (0.8 g/ml):
330 ml beer (one can), 5% vol ≈ 13.2 g pure ethanol
125ml wine (one bichiere), 13% vol. ≈ 13 g pure ethanol
40 ml hard liquor (one shot), 50% vol. ≈ 16 g pure ethanol. (3)
Alcohol unit
To facilitate the calculation of alcohol consumed, an ad hoc unit of measurement, the alcohol unit (AU), is adopted. Which varies, however, from country to country. In Italy, the alcohol unit (AU) corresponds to 12 grams of ethanol. In Spain it is 10 g and in the UK it is 8 g.
Interim conclusions
Regardless of the political decisions to prioritize Big Alcohol ‘s interests over the prevention of serious public health risks, it is worth noting that the science is unanimous-beyond scientific fraud and conflicts of interest-in asserting that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Isis Consuelo Sanlucar Chirinos
Cover drawing from Terra Hominis
Notes
(1) https://www.epicentro.iss.it/alcol/settimana-europea-alcol-2020-materiali-infografica-alcol-cancro
(2) European Parliament, press release. EP calls for action: strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer. 17.2.22 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20211209IPR19105/ep-calls-for-action-strengthening-europe-in-the-fight-against-cancer
(3) Infodrogas. Alcohol – Concepto de Grado Alcohólico https://www.infodrogas.org/drogas/alcohol?start=1
(4) Ministerio de Sanidad. Límites de Consumo de Bajo Riesgo de Alcohol. 2020. https://www.sanidad.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/prevPromocion/Prevencion/alcohol/docs/Limites_Consumo_Bajo_Riesgo_Alcohol_Actualizacion.pdf
Graduated in food engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she is attending the master's degree in 'Food Safety Lawyer and Consultant' at Alma Mater, University of Bologna.
