Health warnings on bottles of wine, urging pregnant women not to drink alcohol, have been made compulsory by the French government.
The law, passed in the official French government bulletin dated 2 October 2006, requires all bottles of wine imported and sold in France to display the warning.
Producers can either print the warning in writing or feature a government-approved picture depicting the silhouette of a pregnant woman drinking from a glass contained in a barred red circle.
‘The consumption of alcoholic drinks during pregnancy, even in small amounts, can have severe consequences to health of your child,’ says the written warning.
The law applies to all bottles of alcohol, from beer to wines and spirits. The warning, says the government, must be displayed ‘in the same visual field as the publication of the alcohol level’.
However, the law will not come into force until next year. Bottles produced or put on sale before 3 Oct 2007 are not obliged to display the warning and can go on being on sale until stocks are exhausted.
Written by Oliver Styles
