What goes on a beer label? The Australian rules
As long as you brew for yourself and your mates, what goes on the bottle is up to you. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code applies to food that is sold, or processed or handled for sale (section 1.1.1—3), and "sell" is a broad word: it includes offering or displaying something for sale (note to section 1.1.2—2). Once you sell your beer – from the brewery, at a market stall or to a bottle shop – the label has to follow the Code.
The label rules for packaged food apply to a retail sale, and also when you sell beer to a shop, pub or distributor as ready for retail sale without any further packaging or labelling (section 1.2.1—4). They attach to the sale (section 1.1.1—10(8)), and under the state and territory Food Acts a person must not sell food that is packaged or labelled in a way that breaks the Code (note 1 to Division 4 of Standard 1.1.1).
A few sales need much less on the label: beer made and packaged on the premises where it is sold (your own brewery or cellar door), beer packaged in front of the buyer, such as a growler fill, and beer sold at a fundraising event for a community or charitable cause (section 1.2.1—6(1)). Some information, including allergens, must then be displayed with the beer or given on request (section 1.2.1—9). The pregnancy warning still applies at your own premises and at fundraisers – see below.
This guide covers only the label. Whether you may brew and sell beer – liquor licences, food business registration and excise – is a question for your state or territory and the Australian Taxation Office. The rules are the same in New Zealand, apart from country of origin, container deposits and net contents: see What goes on a beer label? The New Zealand rules.
The particulars at a glance
Everything required on the label must be in English (section 1.2.1—24).
| Particular | When it's needed | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the food | Always | Pale ale |
| Alcohol content | 0.5% alc/vol or more | 4.8% alc/vol |
| Standard drinks | Over 0.5% alc/vol | Contains approx. 1.4 standard drinks |
| Pregnancy warning | Over 1.15% alc/vol | The FSANZ pregnancy warning mark |
| Net contents | Always | 375 ml |
| Supplier's name and address | Always | Example Brewing, 1 Sample Street, Anytown NSW 2000 |
| Lot identification | Always | Lot 26-142 |
| Best-before date | Unless it is two years or more away | Best Before Dec 2027 |
| Allergens | When the beer contains one (not the cereals) | Contains milk |
| Country of origin | Beer brewed in Australia | Made in Australia |
| Container deposit mark | In every state and territory | 10c refund at collection depots/points in participating State/Territory of purchase |
| Energy statement | From 13 August 2028 (optional until then) | ENERGY INFORMATION panel |
The name of the food
The brand of your beer is not its name. The label needs a name or description that is sufficient to indicate the true nature of the food (section 1.2.2—2), such as "Pale ale", "Lager" or "Stout".
If you sell something as beer – and that includes ale, lager, pilsener, porter and stout – it must be beer as the Code defines it (Standard 2.7.2): made with hops by yeast fermentation of a water extract of malted or unmalted cereals. During brewing you may add cereal products or other sources of carbohydrate, sugar, salt, and herbs and spices (section 1.1.2—3). Fruit isn't named in that list, so if you brew a fruit beer, ask your food authority how to name it.
The alcohol content
Over 1.15% alcohol, state the alcohol content as the percentage of alcohol by volume or in mL/100 mL (section 2.7.1—3(2)). The Code doesn't prescribe the exact words, so "4.8% alc/vol" does the job. The stated figure must be within 0.3% alc/vol of the real one for beer, cider and perry (section 2.7.1—3(4)).
At 1.15% or less, the Code asks for words to the effect "CONTAINS NOT MORE THAN X% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME" instead (section 2.7.1—3(3)).
Standard drinks
Beer with more than 0.5% alcohol needs a statement of the approximate number of standard drinks in the container (section 2.7.1—4). One standard drink is the amount that contains 10 grams of ethanol at 20 °C (section 1.1.2—2). Give the number to one decimal place, or to the nearest whole number above 10 standard drinks.
The sum is volume in litres × % alcohol × 0.789, where 0.789 is the specific gravity of ethanol. Northern Territory liquor law writes it out the same way (Liquor Act 2019 (NT), section 5B).
| Container | Strength | Sum | On the label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 330 ml | 5.0% | 0.33 × 5.0 × 0.789 = 1.30 | 1.3 standard drinks |
| 375 ml | 4.8% | 0.375 × 4.8 × 0.789 = 1.42 | 1.4 standard drinks |
| 750 ml | 6.5% | 0.75 × 6.5 × 0.789 = 3.85 | 3.8 standard drinks |
The pregnancy warning
Packaged beer with more than 1.15% alcohol for retail sale must carry the pregnancy warning (sections 2.7.1—2 and 2.7.1—8); the transition period for this ended on 31 July 2023. The only exception is beer packaged in front of the buyer, such as a glass at the bar or a growler fill. According to FSANZ, the warning is needed even when the beer is made and packaged where it is sold, sold at a fundraising event or sold from a vending machine.
What you use depends on the volume of the container (sections 2.7.1—9 to 2.7.1—11):
| Container | Label | Pictogram | "PREGNANCY WARNING" | "Alcohol can cause lifelong harm to your baby" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 ml or less | Pictogram only | At least 8 mm across | – | – |
| Over 200 ml, up to 800 ml | Mark | At least 6 mm | At least 2.1 mm | At least 1.6 mm |
| Over 800 ml | Mark | At least 9 mm | At least 2.8 mm | At least 2.1 mm |
| Outer pack of several containers | Mark | At least 11 mm | At least 3.5 mm | At least 2.7 mm |
Text size is measured from the base to the top of a letter (section 2.7.1—2). A six-pack needs the warning on the outer pack and on each can or bottle, unless the warning on each one can be clearly seen through the outer packaging, as with plastic rings (section 2.7.1—8).
The form is fixed (section 2.7.1—12): a white background, a red circle and strikethrough, a black silhouette, the signal words in red, bold, sans-serif capitals, the statement in black sans-serif sentence case, and a black border. Keep a clear space of at least 3 mm around the border, and show the warning as a whole and without modification. FSANZ adds that the colour of the clear space isn't prescribed, and that the warning can go anywhere on the label, including on a sticker. A post-printed corrugated cardboard carton holding more than one can or bottle may instead carry an all-black version on the colour of the board, with larger minimum sizes: pictogram 14 mm, signal words 4.4 mm and statement 3.4 mm (section 2.7.1—13).
You don't need to draw it yourself. FSANZ has the official artwork as EPS, JPEG and PDF files: type 1 for over 200 ml up to 800 ml, type 2 for over 800 ml, type 3 for outer packs and type 4, the pictogram, for 200 ml or less. Type 5 is the black version for corrugated cartons. The files use PMS 485, and FSANZ says other variations of red are permitted.
How big the text must be
The Code has no general minimum text size. Required words must be legible and prominent, so that they contrast distinctly with the background of the label, and any other language on the label must not contradict the English (section 1.2.1—24). The 3 mm rule in section 1.2.1—25 is only for defined "warning statements", such as the one for royal jelly – none of them is about beer. The minimum sizes that do apply to a beer label are those of the pregnancy warning, the net contents and, in South Australia, the 10c refund mark.
Net contents
The volume is set by the National Trade Measurement Regulations 2009, not the Food Standards Code. A liquid is marked by volume (regulation 4.13(2)): millilitres may be used up to 1,000 ml, and litres at any volume (Schedule 6, clause 2.1).
The volume goes on the principal display panel – the part of the package most likely to be on show (regulations 4.1 and 4.10) – close to the name or brand and read in the same direction. Keep it at least 2 mm from the edge of the package and at least 2 mm from any other text or graphics (regulation 4.11(1)). On a can or bottle, no part of it may be more than one-sixth of the circumference from the centre line of the front (regulation 4.11(3)).
The minimum height of each character, including the "ml", depends on the largest dimension of the package – for a can or bottle, its height or diameter, whichever is greater (regulation 4.12):
| Largest dimension of the package | Characters at least |
|---|---|
| 120 mm or less | 2.0 mm |
| Over 120 mm, up to 230 mm | 2.5 mm |
| Over 230 mm, up to 360 mm | 3.3 mm |
| Over 360 mm | 4.8 mm |
Measure your own container: a can 125 mm tall, for example, needs 2.5 mm. The figures must contrast with the background (regulation 4.12(2)(a)), and handwriting is only allowed when the beer is packed to be sold on the premises where it was packed (regulation 4.12(5)). On a multipack you can give the number and size, such as "6 x 375 ml", or the total (regulation 4.23). The ℮ mark is optional; if you use it, it is at least 3 mm high and goes on the principal display panel (regulations 4.1 and 4.16A).
Name and address
The label needs the name and business address in Australia or New Zealand of a supplier – the packer, manufacturer, vendor or importer (sections 1.2.2—4 and 1.1.2—2). The business address is the street address, or a description of the location, of the premises the business operates from.
The trade measurement rules add the name and address of whoever packed the beer, or on whose behalf it was packed. That address must be a place in Australia where documents can be served personally, so a post office box isn't enough (regulation 4.7).
Lot and best before
Every label needs lot identification: a number or other information that identifies the premises where the beer was packed and the lot, a batch made under essentially the same conditions, ordinarily within no more than 24 hours (sections 1.2.1—8 and 1.1.2—2). A short code such as "Lot 26-142" is fine, as long as it identifies both.
Beer needs a best-before date, whatever its strength. Write "Best Before" followed by the date, or by where to find it on the label (section 1.2.5—5). If the date is more than three months away, the month and year are enough: "Best Before Dec 2027" or "Best Before 12 2027". The date can be left out if it would be two years or more after the day you set it (section 1.2.5—3(2)), so a barley wine built to age may not need one.
No ingredients list needed
Beer, cider, perry, mead and fruit wine don't need a statement of ingredients (section 1.2.4—2(3)). They do still need to declare allergens such as milk or nuts, but the cereals in beer are exempt. More in Allergens on a beer label in Australia. A nutrition information panel isn't needed either, unless you make a nutrition content or health claim – a "gluten free" claim on a drink doesn't count (sections 1.2.8—5 and 1.1.2—2).
Made in Australia
Under the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016, alcoholic beverages are "non-priority food" (section 9). Beer brewed in Australia only needs a statement that it was made in Australia, such as "Made in Australia" – no kangaroo logo or bar chart (section 24). A food is made in Australia if its last substantial transformation happened here (section 8). "Produced in Australia" is stricter: each significant ingredient must be grown or otherwise wholly obtained in Australia, and all, or virtually all, of the processing must happen here (section 8).
The statement must be legible, in English and contrast distinctly with the background (section 28). It isn't needed when the beer is made and packaged on the premises where it is sold, or sold at a fundraising event (section 14).
The 10c refund mark
Every state and territory now has a container deposit scheme (NSW EPA), and beer cans and bottles of 150 ml to 3 litres are generally covered. According to Tasmania's scheme, the same refund mark is used across Australia (Recycle Rewards):
10c refund at collection depots/points in participating State/Territory of purchase
New South Wales requires this wording, in clear and legible characters, on the label or the container, and accepts stickers (NSW EPA). Tasmania's regulations prescribe the same text (regulation 5(3)), and South Australia and the Northern Territory approve it alongside their own wordings (NT regulation 2D). South Australia's guideline asks for the "10" to be at least 3 mm high and the smallest letter at least 1.5 mm, and recommends a free space of 3 mm around the mark. New South Wales and Tasmania also require a barcode unique to that type of container, such as a GTIN barcode, and Queensland requires the refund marking and a barcode on the container (Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (Qld), section 99P).
The mark alone isn't the whole job: in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, for example, you need an approval or registration for each container, an agreement with the scheme, or both, before you sell – check with the scheme in every state you sell in.
"Low alcohol" and other words
Beer over 1.15% alcohol must not be presented as a low alcohol beverage (section 2.7.1—5), and over 0.5% the label must not say "non intoxicating" or anything similar (section 2.7.1—6). The Code sets no threshold for "non-alcoholic" or "alcohol-free": it only says that a food containing alcohol must not be presented as a non-alcoholic beverage (section 2.7.1—7). Ask your food authority before using those words on a beer with any alcohol in it.
Over 1.15%, the only nutrition content claims allowed are about energy, carbohydrate, sugar and gluten, and health claims aren't allowed at all (section 1.2.7—4).
The energy statement
On 13 August 2025 the Code added an energy statement – a small "ENERGY INFORMATION" panel with the number of servings, the serving size, the kilojoules per serving and per 100 ml and the standard drinks per serving – for beer, cider and other packaged alcoholic drinks (sections 2.7.1—4A to 2.7.1—4C). Until 13 August 2028 beer may be sold with or without it, and beer packaged and labelled before that date can still be sold without it afterwards. FSANZ has an energy content calculator to help.
With Brewlabel, the labelling check in Plus works out the standard drinks figure and checks it, places FSANZ's pregnancy warning at the size your container needs, checks the height of the volume figures, puts the 10c refund mark beside the barcode, writes "Made in Australia" and checks best before, lot and an Australian or New Zealand address. You remain responsible for the label.
Last checked: 21 October 2026
This guide explains labelling and is not legal advice. Rules can change – if you sell your drink, check with your state or territory food authority.
Sources
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Federal Register of Legislation): Standard 1.1.1 · Standard 1.1.2, definitions · Standard 1.2.1 · Standard 1.2.2 · Standard 1.2.4 · Standard 1.2.5 · Standard 1.2.7 · Standard 1.2.8 · Standard 2.7.1, labelling of alcoholic beverages · Standard 2.7.2, beer
- National Trade Measurement Regulations 2009 (Federal Register of Legislation)
- Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016 (Federal Register of Legislation)
- Liquor Act 2019 (NT), section 5B, as in force at 31 August 2026 (Northern Territory Legislation)
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Pregnancy warning labels – design elements and downloadable labels · Labelling of alcoholic beverages · Proposal P1059 – Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages · Alcohol energy content calculator
- NSW Environment Protection Authority: Information for suppliers of drink containers · States join forces to expand container deposit schemes (3 September 2025)
- Container Refund Scheme Regulations 2023 (Tas), regulation 5 (Tasmanian Legislation Online)
- Environment Protection (Beverage Containers and Plastic Bags) Regulations 2011 (NT), regulation 2D (Northern Territory Legislation)
- Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (Qld), section 99P (Queensland Legislation)
- EPA South Australia, Beverage container approval guideline (updated July 2026)
- Containers for Change: Western Australia, container eligibility · Queensland, how it works · Queensland, beverage manufacturers
- Recycle Rewards (Tasmania), FAQs