Brands such as Mountain Dew, SunnyD, Simply Orange Juice, and Eggo are marketing spiked beverages that some regulators fear have the potential to create consumer confusion and lead to inadvertent underage drinking, reports The Wall Street Journal.
These beverages are sometimes merchandised alongside their non-alcoholic counterparts. Mountain Dew maker PepsiCo has faced criticism after several instances where Hard Mountain Dew was placed adjacent to regular Mountain Dew, according to the report. In one instance, it was placed near Hot Wheels toys.
Blue Cloud Distribution, PepsiCo’s alcohol distribution arm said that it trains employees to separate alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages on the shelf. In one case, “a toy display had been incorrectly placed in the beer aisle, and we were able to quickly ask the retailer to relocate the toys,” a Blue Cloud spokeswoman said.
Product labels are reviewed by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to ensure they don’t mislead consumers, while states have control over where alcoholic products may be sold at retail. Virginia recently implemented a new law restricting retailers from merchandising alcoholic products next to their nonalcoholic counterparts. In May, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission issued an emergency rule with similar restrictions. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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