Germany is the largest beer market in Europe, with a production of around 9.4 billion litres per year, brewed in more than 1500, predominantly artisan, breweries.

• For over 25 years in Germany there has been a legal obligation for all beers to label ingredients. For other alcoholic beverages, this is not the case.
• In a survey by the recognised pollster INSA in October 2018, 52% of German consumers stated that they would like to see calories labelled on all alcoholic drinks in addition to the ingredients.
• One of the objectives of the DBB (German Brewers’ association) is to make a contribution to better consumer information and transparency, and to further increase the image of beer.
• End 2018, the Board of the DBB therefore issued a recommendation that German breweries voluntarily label the calories on all beers and beer mixes. The commitment was presented to both the Federal Government and the public at the International Green Week, the world’s largest trade fair for food and agriculture.
• Numerous German breweries have already started to implement the commitment and some companies have already completed the switch to new calorie-tag labels.
• Whilst the implementation rate was still relatively low in early 2019, it can be assumed that, in addition to nearly 100% of German beers labelling ingredients, two-thirds of these beers will be labelling energy values by the end of 2020.
  Signing up to the MoU and Brewers’ Ambition, the DBB and its members will seek to further support implementation, in full compliance with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.