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TTB Newsletter March 12, 2021

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TTB NEWSLETTER | Weekly News

March 12, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

Greetings! This week we're announcing two new grape variety names that can be used as a type designation on American wine labels, and the spring cycle of the Chemist Certification Program is now open. We also provide some tips for avoiding problems with the Government Health Warning on alcohol labels.

NEW GRAPE VARIETY NAMES APPROVED

We recently granted administrative approval for the use of the grape varieties Pecorino and Verdiccio as a type designation on American wine labels.

Wine bottlers may use these names, as well as other names granted administrative approval, to label American wines pending the results of our next rulemaking to revise the list found in 27 CFR 4.91 of grape variety names approved for use in designating American wines.

Visit Grape Variety Designations on American Wine Labels at TTB.gov for additional information about the regulation of grape variety names.

NOW OPEN! SPRING APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CHEMIST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

The 2021 spring cycle of the TTB Chemist Certification Program is now open through April 1. You can find details on how to apply in section 9 of TTB Procedure 2018-2.

As a condition of importation, some countries require that certain chemical analyses be performed on wine, beer, and/or distilled spirits entering their marketplace. TTB offers the Chemist Certification Program as a service to the alcohol beverage industry to facilitate the export of domestic alcohol beverage products. Under this free program, chemists in the private industry are certified to conduct the specific tests listed in TTB Procedure 2018-2.

If you have questions regarding the Chemist Certification Program, contact the Scientific Services Division.

AVOIDING COMMON ERRORS ON YOUR LABELS – GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING

One of the most common problems we see on alcohol beverage labels is errors in the mandatory health warning statement, including punctuation and formatting problems. 
The following health warning statement must appear on all alcohol beverages that contain 0.5% or more alcohol by volume:

GOVERNMENT WARNING: (1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects. (2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems.

Follow these tips:
  • The words "GOVERNMENT WARNING" must appear in capital letters and in bold type
  • Don't omit or change any punctuation marks (periods, commas, colon, parentheses)
  • You may not include health warnings specifically related to alcohol consumption that are required by a foreign government

See the regulations in 27 CFR part 16 for the full rules about how to meet the health warning statement labeling requirements and speed your label approval process.

 

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Last updated: May 2, 2024