Companies and Brands

Bud Light Will Display Nutritional Information on Packages

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: January 12, 2019 8:26 am

Last Updated: January 31, 2020 2:07 am

Bud Light, one of the best-selling products from beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev N.V. (NYSE: BUD), will start to show nutritional information on the packages that contain its cans. The company claims it is a first, at least among major brewers.

One reason for the decision is that many consumers cannot see nutritional information on cans because they are inside the packages. The new move takes away that barrier.

Anheuser Busch promoted the decision, which included a comment from Andy Goeler, VP of Marketing, Bud Light:

While ingredient labels are not required, consumers deserve to know more about their beer. We brew Bud Light with the finest ingredients and we’re happy to proudly display them on our packaging. When people walk through a store, they are used to seeing ingredient labels on products in every aisle, except for the beer, wine and spirits aisle. As the lead brand in the category, we believe increasing on-pack transparency will benefit the entire beer category and provide our consumers with the information they expect to see.

Ingredients will be posted, along with serving size, calories per serving, total fat, saturated fat content, trans fat percentage, carbohydrates, sugars and protein.

Using ingredients and calories to market beer is not new. One of the most widely advertised beers, Anheuser Busch brand Michelob Ultra, is promoted as low-calorie, low-carbohydrate content. It has 85 calories per can and 2.5 grams of carbs. The commercials are an appeal to people who live healthy lifestyles. It is also a rebranding of Michelob, which Anheuser Bush launched in 1961 as the company’s premium brand.

It is far too early to say whether the decision about Bud Light will help sell more of the brand, but Anheuser Busch has put promotion behind as a gamble it will.