Informing wine consumers through understanding issues of wine consumption, health and nutrition
Project summary
The aim of this project is to generate and disseminate credible, evidence- based and scientifically sound information regarding wine and health/nutrition, facilitating informed decision-making by the wine industry, policy makers and consumers.
Latest information
Submissions
Project staff attended two workshops organised by the Federal Department of Health and subsequently prepared two comprehensive scientific submissions for the Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs responsible for drafting the National Drug Strategy 2016-2025 and the National Alcohol Strategy 2016-2021.
Provision of scientific information
Scientific information and briefing papers were prepared for WFA and Alcohol Beverages Australia (ABA) for the Senate Standing Committee on Economics (References Committee) on personal choice and community impacts. Critiques of a number of publications were also prepared, including: the current Australian Bureau of Statistics alcohol consumption data and its alignment with Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data; the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education’s Risky business – The alcohol industry’s dependence on Australia’s heaviest drinkers; St Vincent’s Health Australia’s Alcohol-Related Harm and Violence Policy; the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee Interim Report Need for a nationally-consistent approach to alcohol-fuelled violence; and the Health Council of the Netherlands Draft Dietary Guidelines 2015, as well as journal articles related to wine and human health. In addition, health policy papers on alcohol’s impact on cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, immunological disorders and obesity were reviewed and redrafted for ABA. Complementary to this, the content of the AWRI’s wine and health fact sheets and frequently asked questions was updated. In preparation for the forthcoming review of the National Health & Medical Research Council’s alcohol drinking guidelines, a literature review was undertaken on aspects of wine consumption and human health, including wine consumption compared with other risk factors associated with death from chronic diseases. Five position papers and two book chapters were published after peer review and another three articles were published in non-peer-reviewed publications.