Ministry scents a beer in malt’s clothing

By The Nation

 

 

New alcohol-free malt beverages marketed by beer companies will come under the scrutiny of a working team the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control plans to establish in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
 

Dr Nipon Chinanonwet, director of the department’s Office of Alcohol Control Committee, said on Tuesday the brewers could be taking advantage of a legal loophole.

 

“If it’s advertised as an alcohol-free malt beverage, there’s no problem, but if it’s advertised as an alcohol-free beer, we have to examine the intention and whether the advertising is breaking any law,” he said.

 

The new beverages were registered as food products under FDA control and can thus be openly promoted, Nipon said, but the advertising features alcohol brand logos, which is broadly prohibited.

 

He noted that other countries had already sealed the loophole by prohibiting any similarities between logos of alcohol and non-alcohol drinks.

 

Thailand will need to amend its Alcoholic Beverage Control Act 2551 (2008).

 

In the meantime, other measures are needed, such as applying FDA regulations on exaggerated advertising, Nipon said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30365731

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-13

Focus on the important things! half the country is chocking on polluted air and they have the time and manpower to be pedantic about wording. 

Pathetic ????

And if malted rice is used to make beer, it ain't beer. Might want to fix that one first. "Malt" needs to be malted barley or wheat if specifically mentioned in the name.

 

For those in need of info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malt

‘Cruel marketing in a friendly cloak’: drinks firms taken on by government

By THE NATION

 

 

NEW ALCOHOL-FREE malt drinks marketed by beer companies are to come under the scrutiny of the Public Health Ministry and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

Anti-alcohol advocates, meanwhile, slammed such products as a brazen attempt by alcohol firms to indirectly advertise their brands and seduce new drinkers, especially young people.

 

They found an ally in Dr Nipon Chinanonwet, director of the Disease Control department’s Office of Alcohol Control Committee, who said on Tuesday that brewers could be taking advantage of a legal loophole. 

 

“If it’s advertised as an alcohol-free malt beverage, there’s no problem, but if it’s advertised as an alcohol-free beer, we have to examine the intention and whether the advertising is breaking any law,” he said.

 

 

The new drinks had been registered as food products under FDA control and can therefore be openly promoted, Nipon said, but the advertising features alcohol brand logos, which is broadly prohibited. Nipon noted that other countries had already sealed the loophole by prohibiting any similarities between logos of alcohol and non-alcohol drinks.

 

Thailand would need to amend its Alcoholic Beverage Control Act 2008 and in the meantime, impose other measures, such as applying FDA regulations on exaggerated advertising, Nipon said.

 

Meanwhile, Stop-Drink Network manager Teera Watcharapranee noted that businesses promoting alcoholic drinks had been trying to find loopholes so they could launch new products and gain the widest public attention. Such businesses needed to make sure they attracted their target customers and were therefore working hard to gain visibility through the staging of promotional events – which is legal to do for them, he explained. 

 

They had previously tried to use drinking water and soda drinks whose bottles featured logos similar to those on beer products, he said. 

 

Their latest ploy involved the launching of “alcohol-free beer”, said Nipon. They resorted to “advertising one non-alcohol product that could be advertised legally at the same time as creating a link in the audience’s mind to their other alcohol products which are restricted from advertising,” he said. 

 

Teera said he believed that the beer firms had no intention of selling “alcohol-free beer” in high quantities because the visibility of brand and logo in advertising was already making them big profits. Such “alcohol-free beer” also tempted youngsters and there was a chance it could lead them to try real beer. 

 

“It’s marketing that has a cruel intention but comes in a friendly and noble cloak,” he added, speculating that such products may soon be advertised as a health alternative for those wanting to kick the drinking habit, in the same way as electronic cigarettes are presented to smokers.

 

Contrary to scepticism of “alcohol-free beer” as an unlikely profit-maker and merely a tool for other products’ marketing, “alcohol-free beer” has steadily grown in popularity in the US, Europe and Russia.

 

Its sales rose by about 5 per cent a year from 2010-2015 amid the trend towards a “clean-living”, healthier lifestyle.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365762

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-14

The denizens of Pattaya will be queuing up to buy when these delicious and healthy beverages hit the shelves. Chang vest sales will have a bit of competition.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

but the advertising features alcohol brand logos

Never heard of Singha and Chang drinking water - just watch the Thai football sometime!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“If it’s advertised as an alcohol-free malt beverage, there’s no problem, but if it’s advertised as an alcohol-free beer, we have to examine the intention and whether the advertising is breaking any law,”

I think this case needs Prawit's expertise, once he is done reviewing rural roads speeds.

40 minutes ago, Chassa said:

Never heard of Singha and Chang drinking water - just watch the Thai football sometime!

Spot on, but these are mechanisms to allow the big players to get around the law. If these new beverages had been mad by ThaiBev or BoonRawd then we'd probably have heard nothing about it.

16 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Spot on, but these are mechanisms to allow the big players to get around the law. If these new beverages had been mad by ThaiBev or BoonRawd then we'd probably have heard nothing about it.

Yes, perhaps an opportunity for some of the senior officials who hold "consultancies" from these "influential concerns" to earn their "retainers"?

 

After all, I seem to recall it worked very well with the "craft beer" venues! Does anyone remember the senior policeman (and very usefully, competent building surveyor) who whilst passing noticed one such independent brewery venue was very crowded, had concerns about whether the floor was strong enough, so shut it down!

Edited March 14, 20197 yr by JAG

I remember buying a can of alcohol-free beer from Tops because it was heavily reduced. I was just curious to know how it tasted. Anyhoo, It was between the 2-5 pm period where for some reason you can't buy alcohol. The lady at the till said, "cannot". I explained it was alcohol-free. My missus explained it was alcohol-free. After about 10 seconds of her processing the information, she could process no more, and called her supervisor. Her supervisor looked at the can intensely and decided it was okay. 

 

Amazing how conditioned and unable to process and reason some brains can be. 

Kind of weird their take on this. Most countries think alcohol free beer is a good thing. For exampe, go out with your mates, they all get wasted, you drink 0%, then safely drive them home. But then I suppose it's not like Thailand has one of the worst road fatality rates or anything ????

Older Brits will remember this wonderful ad for alcohol free beer. Thailand could be spared!

 

 

1 hour ago, Chassa said:

Never heard of Singha and Chang drinking water - just watch the Thai football sometime!

Exactly why they market soda water too - it keeps their beer brand in the public eye.  And why are they so afraid of beer anyway?  Why do they blank out cigarettes in movies?  Why are guns blanked out when every cop on every corner has one?  

Is it because Thais are susceptible to the hidden persuaders?

Thailand is an adman's dream.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

that could be advertised legally at the same time as creating a link in the audience’s mind

Creating a link in the audience’s mind doesn't work for Somchai and Somjit. See the relation between the junta and Palang Pracharat Party.

Focus on the dire education system, or lack of law enforcement-may be more important time spent 

A derogatory troll post has been removed

Reminds me of the Marlborough clothing line that had the same red and white logo as the cigarettes.