Coors U.K. in hot water over health claims - Brief Article

Modern Brewery Age, March 15, 2004

At one point, "Guinness is good for you," was a noncontroversial advertising claim in the U.K. But the British arm of Coors has found that today's British regulators aren't so sanguine about publicizing the potential health benefits of beer drinking.

Britain's Food Commission has complained to the country's Advertising Standards Authority after Coors U.K. made claims that beer drinkers enjoy health benefits. In a four-page magazine insert, Coors said beer was an "excellent source of vitamins, especially B vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium and potassium." It also quoted a nutritionist saying beer bellies were more likely to be caused by late night snacks than by beer.

The Food Commission challenged the claims, and accused Coors of being irresponsible by encouraging people to drink beer to maintain heart health.