TTB issues new gluten-free labelling policy

US spirits producers claiming to make gluten-free products could be forced to revise their marketing strategies after a government body issued new guidelines on gluten-free labelling.

The TTB has revised its policy on gluten free labelling, disallowing spirits made form gluten-containing grains to declare themselves gluten-free

The Alcohol and Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has updated its policy to claim that beverages made from gluten-containing grains that are labelled gluten-free are “misleading to consumers”.

These products must therefore be labelled with a statement claiming that they have been “processed”, “treated”, or “crafted” to remove gluten, and must also warn consumers that the gluten content of the product “cannot be determined” and that the product “may contain gluten”.

Under the updated policy: “Alcohol beverages made from ingredients that do not contain gluten (such as wines fermented from grapes or other fruit and distilled spirits distilled from materials other than gluten-containing grains) may continue to make “gluten-free” claims in the same way allowed in the new FDA regulations for inherently gluten-free products.”

The TTB carried out a review of its gluten-free definitions in order to “adopt an approach that is consistent” with that of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Previously, the agency set out its first policy on gluten free labelling for wines, distilled spirits and malt beverages in 2012.

Following this, a number of US distillers were able to declare themselves gluten-free, including corn-based Devotion Vodka and potato-based Blue Ice Vodka.

The TTB’s new policy may be further revised after FDA issues a final rule or other guidance with respect to fermented and hydrolyzed products.

For more information, go to www.ttb.gov/rulings/2014-2.pdf.