Vitamins in Beer
Introduction
This paper is devoted to the introduction of a special kind of beer with vitamins on the market of Australia. It would be the product that includes different vitamins to help make drinking a little healthier and easier on our bodies. Vitamin B12 would be one of them. At the same time, additional research is conducted on the saturation of beer with vitamins. Nowadays consumption of beer is around 40% of all alcohol that is sold in Australia. Its part in all alcohol still go down from the 1970s. In this case, beer with vitamins can become some new beverage and can interest the majority of Australians. The beer sales usually increase in January-March and decrease in the cooler months (July-September). It is necessary to take into account before importing beer into Australia.
Laws Relating to the Product
Let’s analyze tariffs and restrictions, any additional taxes, which can be applied to beer imports into Australia. There are also special features in labeling alcohol beverages in Australia.
The Australian Customs Service does not require importers to hold special import licenses. Marketing samples of beer must not exceed twenty liters.
There are three main kinds of taxes: MFN duty rate, sales tax and additional duties and taxes. The import duty rates for importing Beer can and Vitamins into Australia are as follows:
Beer can: MFN duty rate is “0% + AU$ 81.05 per liter of alcohol above 0% abv”; sales tax is 10% and import processing charge (as additional duty rate) is AU $50;
Vitamins: “MFN duty rate is 4%; sales tax is 10% and import processing charge is the same (AU $50)” (DutyCalculator).
As for labeling, there is a lot of mandatory information that must be indicated on the packaging. It must contain the following: name of beverage type (beer); name of product (beer brand); name and business address of the importer (and/or manufacture); ingredient listing; declaration of alcohol by volume (for example, alcohol content); net content (must be indicated on the front label with letters no less than 3,3 mm high); “standard drink labeling; country of origin (place, where the beer is manufactured); the last mandatory information is use by date” (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau).
It needs to pay more attention to such point as “the standard drink labeling” (Australian Customs and Border Protection Service). According to Australian legislation, standard drink means the amount of a beverage that contains “10 grams of ethanol, measured at 20C” (Government Agency). For example, beer can (375 ml, 4,9%) must be indicated with the following label: “contains approximately 1.4 standard drinks”.
It should be noted, that there are some restrictions, which concern beer advertising. Anything information that is prohibited in labeling is also prohibited in advertising. For example, using such words as “natural”, “organic”, “low alcohol”, “vitamin enriched” are restricted. Any picture of the product must not provide a misleading impression of the product to consumers.
Conclusion
There is a lot of people in Australia who still like beer more than other alcohol. Beer with vitamins becomes the special beverage that is not only characterized by regular beer taste, but also contains vitamins. At the same time, some problems can appear, because there are some limitations on beer advertising in Australia and quite high duty rates on importing beer to that country.
Works Cited
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,. “TTB, IAD International Affairs Resources For Australia”. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Australian Customs and Border Protection Service,. Importing Alcohol And Tobacco Products As Cargo Or By International Mail. Canberra: Australian Government, 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
DutyCalculator,. “The Import Duty Rate For Importing Beer Can Into Australia”. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
DutyCalculator,. “The Import Duty Rate For Importing Vitamins And Supplements, Vitamins And Supplements Into Australia”. N.p., 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Government Agency. “Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code - Standard 2.7.1 - Labelling Of Alcoholic Beverages And Food Containing Alcohol”. Comlaw.gov.au. N.p., 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
