Beer importer froths at new food rules

By KEVIN TAYLOR

New food code rules may cost one small business dearly and cut the choice of beer connoisseurs nationwide.

Despite claims that businesses are willing to bear the cost of the new Australasian food code requirements, Auckland importer Beer Force International is unhappy.

The company, which employs seven people, faces charging consumers between $2 and $2.50 more per six-pack of beer because of the new label laws.

And some overseas breweries may be put off by the extra cost and hassle and withdraw their products, which would badly affect Beer Force's business.

The firm imports about 40 beer lines from 20 breweries around the world.

The giants of Europe could make New Zealand's consumption of their lines "in a lunch hour", said Beer Force co-owner Grant Willoughby.

Even with the expanded common market of 20 million people in Australia and New Zealand the food code would create, the label rules may still put some big breweries off and exotic beer lines may go from shops, he said.

"A market of 20 million - that's not worth five bob to the breweries."

New Zealand has generally imported more foreign beers than Australia because it already has stricter labelling requirements.

One beer the company imports is Tuborg from Denmark - ironically the beer of choice at Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen's post-Budget party.

It may no longer be available for ministerial knees-ups because of a code the Government adopted in November 2000 with Australia.

Willoughby said he was working with breweries over the code's label requirements but was hampered by a lack of detailed information.

"It can be summed up as a nightmare," he said.

"I'm intrigued by a Government in election year making noises about compliance cost for small business - and then introducing this."

He said the code would also affect other alcohol imports, and cottage industries.