Alcohol industry arguments about mandatory pregnancy warning labels: A qualitative analysis of industry submissions in Australia and New Zealand

• Systematic analysis of industry submissions on a proposed pregnancy warning label. • Many submissions were made by the wine industry and by producers and retailers. • Submitters criticised the label design, its evidence base and the policy process. • Repetition in the submissions suggested significant industry collaboration. • Key elements of the proposal were amended in line with industry arguments. Pregnancy warning labels on alcohol containers have been recommended to prevent harm to breastfeeding infants and the developing foetus, but are yet to be widely implemented globally. In 2020, a joint Australia-New Zealand governmental agency adopted a mandatory pregnancy warning label to be implemented by 2023, replacing a voluntary pregnancy warning promoted by an industry public relations agency. But alcohol industry lobbying remains a powerful obstacle to further action. This research elucidates a component of that lobbying, by analysing industry submissions to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand’s (FSANZ) consultation on mandatory pregnancy warning labels. Directed content analysis and thematic analysis was performed on alcohol industry submissions to FSANZ’s 2019 policy consultation on a proposal for mandatory pregnancy warning labels for alcoholic beverages. The ‘three Ps’ model of alcohol industry lobbying strategy (policy position, policy actors and policy problem) and the policy change model informed the data analysis. Fifty-eight percent of the total submissions were made by the alcohol industry, predominantly by wine industry operations. Ninety-nine percent of submissions criticised the proposal, arguing against the proposed label’s specific features, implementation process, and its likely impact. Most also argued for industry involvement in policymaking and disputed the problem of maternal alcohol consumption. Arguments made in industry submissions were reflected in subsequent alterations to the warning label design and the length of the transition period. This study contributes to remedying a paucity of research on industry arguments against pregnancy warning labels and offers insights for international alcohol policymaking.