ACC Provides Legal Background On '0.0'

We all order alcohol-free beer from time to time these days. Although it is widely advertised, it is not always clear what "alcohol-free" or "0.0" means exactly. The Advertising Code Committee (ACC) explains why alcohol-free beer can still contain alcohol and gives a more detailed interpretation of '0.0'.

In July 2022, a complaint was submitted at the ACC against brewer Liefmans' claims "alcohol-free" and "0.0" on the label and website of its Liefmans Fruitesse 0.0 beer. Why? Both the use of '0.0' and 'alcohol-free' would be misleading. In fact, as was also stated on the Liefmans website at the time of the complaint, the fruit beer contains less than 0.05% alcohol. The beer is thus not completely alcohol-free.