The Scottish Government will "win hands down" if a challenge to its plans to bring in minimum pricing for alcohol ends up in the European Court, the Health Secretary predicted.

Alex Neil said the Scottish Government would "go the full mile" to contest legal bids to halt the measure.

He spoke out after it was reported five European wine-producing nations – France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Bulgaria – said minimum pricing for alcohol as illegal, unfair and ineffective.

They argue that minimum unit pricing breaches European free trade law by discriminating against imported alcohol products.

Mario Moniz Barreto, secretary general of the Portuguese Spirits Association, said: "There is no demonstration this measure will have an effect on the people it is trying to protect."

But Mr Neil insisted the policy would "not be detrimental to trade either within Europe or internationally".

Holyrood has passed legislation to introduce for a minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit, but this has faced challenges from European wine and spirit producers and the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

In May, the Court of Session dismissed a legal challenge by the SWA to minimum pricing.

Mr Neil said: "Within Europe we are allowed, if the measure is proportional, to deal with a social problem, you are allowed to introduce measures like minimum unit pricing. Our argument is this is a very proportional measure to deal with a very substantial problem."