The Portman Group has introduced a new initiative to name and shame drinks brands that do not comply with responsible packaging and marketing rules. Under the scheme, 500 randomly chosen brands will be investigated to ensure they meet standards. It's the first time the watchdog has been proactive in investigating drinks brands, having previously only dealt with complaints made to an independent panel, or issued pre-launch NPD advice. Suppliers in breach of the code will have six months to clean up their act or face a further investigation by the complaints panel, which could then issue product recall advice to retailers and licensing authorities. The 500 products will be sourced through shopping visits across the UK and the audit will be carried out by management consultant PIPC. Checks will be in place to ensure categories are not singled out and a random sample of brands is covered, ranging in price up to £50. "We're dealing with it on an independent basis from the Portman Group and the methodology has been devised to get a representative sample of products," said Simon Pringle, leader of PIPC's sustainable business practice team. Product sourcing kicked off this month and assessments are expected to be completed by April. If a brand has breached rules it will be informed of changes it must make, said Michael Thomson, Portman head of communications and external affairs. "We need to be sure producers are aware of the code and are complying. More companies are seeking pre-launch advice from us, but still a lot don't bother." Portman's complaints panel has found 70 products in breach of the code since 1996. Those that have failed include the Wee Beastie RTD range, whose "cartoon-style, grinning spider" packaging was deemed to appeal to under-18s in 2006. Ultimate Brands stopped importing cannabis-flavoured gin and vodka in 2007 after the panel disapproved of the association with drugs.

Topics