Pregnancy Warning Label Decision

As per the FSANZ approval report the variation amends Standard 2.7.1 of the Code to permit the use of an alternative pregnancy warning mark with the following requirements:

• the signal words, statement, pictogram and border must be in the single colour black
• the background must be the same colour as the CC outside liner (i.e. brown, grey or white).
• minimum size of type for the signal words of 4.4 mm x minimum size of type for the statement of 3.4 mm
• minimum pictogram diameter of 14 mm.

The report noted:

This approach prescribes colour, contrast and an increased label size compared with the existing size requirements for outer packaging, ensuring effectiveness of the pregnancy warning mark is maintained. An alternative pregnancy warning mark will enable industry to resolve technical misalignment issues for a specific type of packaging in a cost-effective manner (i.e. post-printed CC outer packaging of more than one individual unit of an alcoholic beverage) and consistently comply with the Code.

The transition period for a prescribed alcoholic beverage with a pregnancy warning mark on an outer package made of CC (as set out in the approved draft variation) commences on the date of gazettal of the approved draft variation and ends on 1 February 2024.

Additionally, such prescribed alcoholic beverages packaged and labelled before the end of the transition period (i.e. before 2 February 2024) may be sold without the pregnancy warning mark. The end of the transition period for pregnancy warning labels for all non-CC packaging and individual alcoholic beverage containers remains at 31 July 2023.