June 17, 2010
Greetings! We hope you are having an accomplished and prosperous week! This edition includes new guidelines for nonbeverage alcohol products and a redesigned chemist certification procedure.
In the TTB Newsletter, we compile the top TTB news of the week and other helpful information about the Bureau and the Federal alcohol and tobacco laws and regulations we enforce. Please send any questions and/or comments to Executive Liaison for Industry Matters (industryliaison@ttb.gov) and/or State Liaison (stateliaison@ttb.gov). |
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NEW GUIDELINES FOR NONBEVERAGE ALCOHOL PRODUCTS
The TTB Nonbeverage Products Laboratory created new guidelines in the Drawback Tutorial for making a product unfit for beverage purposes. The new guidelines are based on Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients maximum use levels. (This publication uses the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) material numbering system). Any applicable flavor ingredient present in the product at 5 times or greater ppm at 15% Alcohol By Volume) than the listed maximum use level is unfit for beverage purposes. The Flavor Unfitness Worksheet is available for download in the Drawback Tutorial and will perform the calculations needed to determine if the product is unfit for beverage purposes. Some materials have been removed from the worksheet because they have TTB or FDA limitations, were found to be fit for beverage purposes at a certain level, or are listed elsewhere in our guidelines document. When a FEMA number for those materials is entered, the word "REMOVED" will be displayed.
If you have questions about the new guidelines or the Drawback Tutorial, please contact the TTB Nonbeverage Products Laboratory at drawback@ttb.gov.
REDESIGNED CHEMIST CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE
TTB offers a certification program for the analysis of wine or distilled spirits for export to foreign markets. Many countries accept a report of analysis from a TTB-certified chemist accompanying the export shipment as a condition of entry. This certification is free-of-charge and is open to chemists and/or enologists. Initial certification is for a period of two years and re-certification is required at the expiration of the two-year period. Twice a year, TTB provides a list of certified chemists qualified laboratories to the foreign governments.
TTB recently redesigned the chemist certification procedure. The new procedure, TTB Procedure 2010-1, changes three aspects of the certification program to: (1) expand who may apply for certification, (2) revise the list of analyses for certification based on the current requirements of various importing countries, and (3) establish a proficiency testing program for certification by which TTB issues the test samples to the applicants. For more information, please read Redesigned Chemist Certification Procedure and TTB Procedure 2010-1.