Digital labels printed on Pernod Ricard’s drinks bottles will offer consumers information and clear, actionable guidance around responsible drinking

Pernod Ricard, the world’s leading premium spirits company of brands such as Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, Jameson, Absolut, and Beefeater Gin, has today introduced e-labels on bottles in Cambodia for the first time. The initiative, which follows the recent success of launches in Singapore and Vietnam, helps adults of legal drinking age make informed decisions about whether and how much to drink. It marks an important step in the industry’s commitment to introducing National Drinking Guidelines in Cambodia for the first time, providing accurate and balanced information on alcohol and health as an essential tool for reducing harmful drinking.

From today, 80 percent of Pernod Ricard’s spirits and wines sold in Cambodia will be produced with the e-label. Accessible via a QR code printed on the back label of Pernod Ricard products, this allows consumers in Cambodia to quickly access detailed product information in both English and Khmer. By scanning the QR code with any mobile device, consumers will be directed to a dedicated webpage offering geo-localized insights about the product, including ingredients, nutritional facts, responsible drinking guidelines, and information on health risks.

Crucially, this includes recommended alcohol drinking guidelines based on international benchmarking to help inform individuals of the legal drinking age on how to minimise health risks associated with drinking alcohol. For most healthy adults, drinking within recommended limits is consistent with a balanced and healthful lifestyle. Drinking guidelines play an important role in this process and encourage positive choices and drinking that is moderate, responsible, and consistent with a balanced and healthful lifestyle. Most countries that have issued national alcohol drinking guidelines advise men to consume no more than two standard drinks a day (or 20 grams of pure alcohol) and for women to consume no more than one standard drink a day (or 10 grams of pure alcohol). The move responds to consumer demand for easy-to-access product information to support informed choices about alcohol consumption.

This comes as Cambodia proposes a new draft of alcohol legislation for the first time, including a legal purchase age for alcohol use to better protect minors from accessing alcoholic beverages. Today Cambodia is one of the few countries in the world without a minimum Legal Purchase Age (LPA). As a leading name in the wine and spirits sector, Pernod Ricard has long championed the actions taken by the Royal Government of Cambodia to put in place an LPA at 18 years old. The new e-label launch forms a crucial step in supporting the government’s ambitions to build a better-informed, healthier society.

Mr. Daren Ong, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Cambodge, comments: “Customer-centricity drives everything we do at Pernod Ricard. Our digital label is a direct response to consumer demand for clear, accessible product information in Cambodia. With easy-to-understand content in Khmer, we provide actionable guidance to help consumers make informed choices. As the first to roll out digital labeling across our entire portfolio, we are setting a new industry standard as well as creating awareness about the risks associated with harmful consumption.​ We are committed to evolving this platform with industry partners and consumers to ensure greater engagement and impact.”

This digital-first initiative is the first of its kind globally within the wine and spirits industry. It forms part of the company’s wider sustainability and responsibility agenda in the region, which sets a new benchmark in aligning corporate growth with responsible business and sustainable development. Pernod Ricard continues to contribute to alcohol harm reduction through targeted interventions, with 93% of its 160 markets having contributed to a local or global responsible drinking initiative in 2022. Over the years, the company has been actively involved in global efforts to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol through collaborations with industry stakeholders, governments, civil society, and consumers worldwide. Initiatives such as the ‘Drink More Water’ campaign have encouraged young adults to drink in moderation, and the 2021 “Power of No” campaign worked with government agencies, NGOs, and community organisations to shift the cultural conversation around drunk driving – reaching six million people across Cambodia.

The introduction of the e-label marks a new benchmark for transparency within the alcohol industry, offering consumers in Cambodia more accessible and detailed product information for the first time. This shift is expected to encourage industry-wide changes towards greater accountability, influencing standards to ensure a robust regulatory environment and facilitate new National Drinking Guidelines and a minimum Legal Purchase Age in Cambodia for a healthier, more sustainable future.