Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=pt27.1.5&rgn=div5
Timestamp: 2019-10-15 20:13:20
Document Index: 429544003

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 5', 'art 19', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§16', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', '§5', 'art 205']

Editorial Note: Nomenclature changes to part 5 appear by T.D. ATF-425, 65 FR 11891, Mar. 7, 2000.
The regulations in this part relate to the labeling and advertising of distilled spirits. This part applies to the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, but does not apply to distilled spirits for export.
Source: T.D. ATF-62, 44 FR 71620, Dec. 11, 1979, unless otherwise noted.
The requirements of this subpart shall apply to:
(a) Proprietors of distilled spirits plants qualified as processors under 27 CFR part 19;
(b) Persons in Puerto Rico who manufacture distilled spirits products for shipment to the United States. Formulas need only be filed for those products which will be shipped to the United States; and
(c) Persons who ship into the United States, Virgin Islands distilled spirits products.
The adoption by a successor of approved Forms 5110.38 (27-B Supplemental) shall be in the form of an application filed with the appropriate TTB officer. The application shall list the formulas for adoption by:
(a) Formula number,
(b) Name of product, and
(c) Date of approval.
The application shall clearly show that the predecessor has authorized the use of his previously approved formulas by the successor.
(a) Application. No person engaged in business as a distiller, rectifier, importer, wholesaler, or warehouseman and bottler, directly or indirectly, or through an affiliate, shall sell or ship or deliver for sale or shipment or otherwise introduce in interstate or foreign commerce, or receive therein, or remove from customs custody, any distilled spirits in bottles, unless such bottles are marked, branded, labeled, or packaged, in conformity with §§5.31 through 5.42.
(b) Alteration of labels. It shall be unlawful for any person to alter, mutilate, destroy, obliterate, or remove any mark, brand, or label on distilled spirits held for sale in interstate or foreign commerce or after shipment therein, except:
(1) As authorized by Federal law;
(2) When an additional labeling or relabeling of bottled distilled spirits is accomplished with labels covered by certificates of label approval which comply with the requirements of this part and with State law;
(3) That there may be added to the bottle, after removal from customs custody, or prior to or after removal from bonded premises, without application for permission to relabel, a label identifying the wholesale or retail distributor thereof or identifying the purchaser or consumer, and containing no references whatever to the characteristics of the product.
(b) Voluntary labeling standards. Major food allergens (defined in paragraph (a)(1) of this section) used in the production of a distilled spirit product may, on a voluntary basis, be declared on any label affixed to the container. However, if any one major food allergen is voluntarily declared, all major food allergens used in production of the distilled spirit product, including major food allergens used as fining or processing agents, must be declared, except when covered by a petition for exemption approved by the appropriate TTB officer under §5.32b. The major food allergens declaration must consist of the word “Contains” followed by a colon and the name of the food source from which each major food allergen is derived (for example, “Contains: egg”).
(c) Cross reference. For mandatory labeling requirements applicable to distilled spirits products containing FD&C Yellow No. 5 and sulfites, see §§5.32(b)(5) and (7).
(a) Contrasting background. Labels shall be so designed that the statements required by this subpart are readily legible under ordinary conditions, and such statements shall be on a contrasting background.
(b) Location of statements and size of type. (1) Statements required by this subpart, except brand names, shall appear generally parallel to the base on which the bottle rests as it is designed to be displayed or shall be otherwise equally conspicuous.
(2) Statements required by this subpart, except brand names and the declaration of sulfites in §5.32(b)(7), shall be separate and apart from any other descriptive or explanatory matters.
(3) If not separate and apart from other descriptive or explanatory matter printed on the label, the statement declaring the presence of sulfites shall be of a size substantially more conspicuous than surrounding nonmandatory labeling information.
(4) Statements of the type of distilled spirits shall be as conspicuous as the statement of the class to which it refers, and in direct conjunction therewith.
(5) Statements required by this subpart, except brand names, shall be in script, type, or printing not smaller than 2 millimeters (or 8-point gothic until January 1, 1983), except that, in the case of labels on bottles of 200 milliliters or less capacity, such script, type, or printing shall not be smaller than 1 millimeter (or 6-point gothic until January 1, 1983).
(6) When net contents are stated either in metric measures or in both metric and U.S. fluid measures, statements required by the subpart, except brand names, shall be in script, type, or printing not smaller than 2 millimeters (or 8-point gothic until January 1, 1983), except that, in the case of labels on bottles of 200 milliliters or less capacity such script, type, or printing shall not be smaller than 1 millimeter (or 6-point gothic until January 1, 1983).
(c) English language. The requirements of this subpart shall be stated in the English language, except that the brand name need not be in English, and for products bottled for consumption within Puerto Rico the required information may be stated in the Spanish language if the net contents and, if the product is an imitation, the word “imitation” are also stated in the English language.
(d) Location of label. Labels shall not obscure government stamps or be obscured thereby. Labels shall not obscure any markings or information required to be permanently marked in the bottle by other U.S. Treasury Department regulations.
(e) Labels firmly affixed. Labels which are not an integral part of the bottle shall be affixed to bottles in such manner that they cannot be removed without thorough application of water or other solvents.
(f) Additional information on labels. Labels may contain information other than the mandatory label information required by this subpart if the information does not conflict with, or in any manner qualify, statements required by this part.
(g) Contents of bottles. A complete and accurate statement of the contents of the bottles to which labels are to be or have been affixed shall be submitted, on request, to the appropriate TTB officer.
(a) Designation of product. The class and type of distilled spirits shall be stated in conformity with §5.22 if defined therein. In all other instances the product shall be designated in accordance with trade and consumer understanding thereof, or, if no such understanding exists, by a distinctive or fanciful name, and in either case (except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section) followed by a truthful and adequate statement of composition. The word “cordial” or “liqueur” need not be stated in the case of cordials and liqueurs unless the appropriate TTB officer finds such word is necessary to clearly indicate that the product is a cordial or liqueur.
(b) Products designed in accordance with trade and consumer understanding. In the case of products designated in accordance with trade and consumer understanding:
(1) A statement of the classes and types of distilled spirits used in the manufacture thereof shall be deemed a sufficient statement of composition in the case of highballs, cocktails, and similar prepared specialties when the designation adequately indicates to the consumer the general character of the product.
(2) No statement of composition is required if the designation through general and established usage adequately indicates to the consumer the composition of the product.
(c) Origin of whiskies in mixtures. In the case of any of the types of whisky defined in §5.22(b), Class 2, which contains any whisky or whiskies produced in a country other than that indicated by the type designation, there shall be stated on the brand label the percentage of such whisky and the country or origin thereof. In the case of mixtures of whisky, not conforming to any type designation in §5.22(b), Class 2, the components of which were distilled in more than one country, there shall be stated in direct conjunction with the class designation “whisky” a truthful and adequate statement of the composition of the product.
(d) Whisky manufactured in Scotland, Ireland, or Canada. All whisky manufactured in Scotland, Ireland, or Canada, shall be deemed to be Scotch, Irish, or Canadian whisky, and shall be so designated, in conformity with §5.22(b) (7), (8), and (9), unless the application of such designation to the particular product will result in consumer deception, or unless such a product is not entitled to such designation under the laws of the country in which manufactured.
(e) Cordials and liqueurs. The alcoholic components of cordails and liqueurs may, but need not, be stated on labels.
(a) “Bottled by”. (1) On labels of domestic distilled spirits there shall be stated the phrase “bottled by”, “packed by”, or “filled by”, immediately followed by the name (or trade name) of the bottler and the place where such distilled spirits are bottled. If the bottler is the actual bona fide operator of more than one distilled spirits plant engaged in bottling operations, there may, in addition, be stated immediately following the name (or trade name) of such bottler the addresses of such other plants.
(2) Where distilled spirits are bottled by or for the distiller thereof, there may be stated, in lieu of the phrase “bottled by”, “packed by”, or “filled by”, followed by the bottler's name (or trade name) and address, the phrase “distilled by”, followed by the name, or the trade name under which the particular spirits were distilled, or (except in the case of distilled spirits labeled as bottled in bond) any trade name shown on the distiller's permit (covering the premises where the particular spirits were distilled), and the address (or addresses) of the distiller.
(3) Where “straight whiskies” of the same type which have been produced in the same State by two or more different distillers are combined (either at time of bottling or at a warehouseman's bonded premises for further storage) and subsequently bottled and labeled as “straight whisky,” such “straight whisky” shall be labeled in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Where such “straight whisky” is bottled by or for the distillers thereof, there may be stated on the label, in lieu of the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the phraise “distilled by,” followed by the names (or trade names) of the different distillers who distilled a portion of the “straight whisky,” the addresses of the distilleries where the “straight whisky” was distilled, and the percentage of “straight whisky” distilled by each distiller (with a tolerance of plus or minus 2 percent). In the case where “straight whisky” is made up of a mixture of “straight whiskies” of the same type from two or more different distilleries of the same proprietor located within the same State, and where the “straight whisky” is bottled by or for the proprietor thereof, such “straight whisky” may be labeled, in lieu of the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of the this section, with the phrase “distilled by” followed by the name (or trade name) of the proprietor and the addresses of the different distilleries which distilled a portion of the “straight whisky.”
(4) Where distilled spirits are bottled by or for the rectifier thereof, there may be stated, in lieu of the phrase “bottled by”, “packed by”, or “filled by”, followed by the bottler's name (or trade name) and address, the phrases “blended by”, “made by”, “prepared by”, “manufactured by”, or “produced by” (whichever may be appropriate to the act of rectification involved) followed by the name (or trade name), and the address (or addresses) of the rectifier.
(5) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this paragraph, the labels of bottled in bond spirits shall bear the real name of the distillery or the trade name under which the distillery produced and warehoused the spirits, the number of the plant in which produced and the number of the plant in which bottled.
(6) The label may state the address of the proprietor's principal place of business in lieu of the place where the bottling, distilling or rectification operation occurred, if the address where the operation occurred is indicated by printing, coding, or other markings, on the label or on the bottle.
(b) “Imported by”. (1) On labels of imported distilled spirits, bottled prior to importation, there shall be stated the words “imported by”, “imported exclusively by”, or a similar appropriate phrase, and immediately thereafter the name of the importer, or exclusive agent, or sole distributor, or other person responsible for the importation, together with the principal place of business in the United States of such person.
(2) On labels of imported distilled spirits bottled after importation there shall be stated:
(i) The name of the bottler and place where bottled, immediately preceded by the words “bottled by”, “packed by”, or “filled by”; or
(ii) The name of the bottler and place where bottled, immediately preceded by the words “bottled by”, “packed by”, or “filled by” and in conjunction therewith the name and address of the person responsible for the importation, in the manner prescribed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section; or
(iii) The name and principal place of business in the United States of the person responsible for the importation, if the spirits are bottled for such person, immediately preceded by the phrase “imported by and bottled (packed), (filled) in the United States for” (or a similar appropriate phrase); or,
(iv) In the case of imported distilled spirits bottled after importation by the person responsible for the importation, the words “imported and bottled (packed), (filled) by”, “imported and bottled (packed), (filled) exclusively by”, or a similar appropriate phrase, and immediately thereafter the name of such person and the address of the place where bottled or the address of such person's principal place of business.
(c) Post office address. The “place” stated shall be the post office address, except that the street address may be omitted. No additional places or addresses shall be stated for the same person, firm or corporation, unless (1) such person or retailer is actively engaged in the conduct of an additional bona fide and actual alcoholic beverage business at such additional place or address, and (2) the label also contains in direct conjunction therewith, appropriate descriptive material indicating the function occurring at such additional place or address.
(e) Country of origin. On labels of imported distilled spirits there shall be stated the country of origin in substantially the following form “Product of ____________”, the blank to be filled in with the name of the country of origin.
(a) Statements—(1) Mandatory statement. The alcohol content for distilled spirits shall be stated in percent-alcohol-by-volume. Products such as “Rock and Rye. or similar products containing a significant amount of solid material shall state the alcohol content at the time of bottling as follows: “Bottled at ______ percent-alcohol-by-volume.”
(2) Optional statement. In addition, the label may also state the alcohol content in degrees of proof if this information appears in direct conjunction (i.e., with no intervening material) with the statement expressed in percent-alcohol-by-volume. If both forms of alcohol content are shown, the optional statement in degrees of proof shall be placed in parentheses, in brackets, or otherwise distinguished from the mandatory statement in percent-alcohol-by-by-volume to emphasize the fact that both expressions of alcohol content mean the same thing.
(b) Tolerances. The following tolerances shall be allowed (without affecting the labeled statement of alcohol content) for losses of alcohol content occurring during bottling:
(1) Not to exceed 0.25 percent alcohol by volume for spirits containing solids in excess of 600 mg per 100 ml; or
(2) Not to exceed 0.25 percent alcohol by volume for any spirits product bottled in 50 or 100 ml size bottles; or
(3) Not to exceed 0.15 percent alcohol by volume for all other spirits.
(a) Bottles conforming to metric standards of fill. The net contents of distilled spirits shall be stated in the same manner and form as set forth in the standards of fill in §5.47a.
(b) Bottles not conforming to the metric standards of fill. The net contents for distilled spirits bottled before January 1, 1980, in bottles not conforming to the metric standards of fill, shall be stated in the same manner and form as set forth in §5.47(a), except for cordials and liqueurs, cocktails, highballs, bitters and specialties, as specified by the Administrator. The net contents for these specialty products shall be stated in U.S. measure (i.e., gallons, quarts, pints, fluid ounces).
(c) Net contents marked in bottles. The net contents need not be marked on any lable if they are legibly blown, etched, sandblasted, marked by underglaze coloring, or otherwise permanently marked by any method approved by the appropriate TTB officer on the side, front, or back of the container in an unobscured location. containers of 200 ml or greater capacity shall bear letters and figures of not less than one-quarter inch height.
(d) Qualifying statements. Words or phrases qualifying statements of net contents are prohibited.
(a) Neutral spirits and name of commodity. (1) In the case of distilled spirits (other than cordials, liqueurs, and specialties) produced by blending or rectification, if neutral spirits have been used in the production thereof, there shall be stated the percentage of neutral spirits so used and the name of the commodity from which such neutral spirits have been distilled. The statement of percentage and the name of the commodity shall be made in substantially the following form: “________% neutral spirits distilled from ______________ (insert grain, cane products, or fruit as appropriate)”; or “________% neutral spirits (vodka) distilled from ______________ (insert grain, cane products, or fruit, as appropriate)”; or “________% grain (cane products), (fruit) neutral spirits”, or “________% grain spirits.”
(2) In the case of neutral spirits or of gin produced by a process of continuous distillation, there shall be stated the name of the commodity from which such neutral spirits or gin have been distilled. The statement of the name of the commodity shall be made in substantially the following form: “Distilled from grain”, or “Distilled from cane products”, or “Distilled from fruit”.
(b) Coloring materials. The words “artifically colored” shall be stated on the label of any distilled spirits containing synthetic or natural materials which primarily contribute color, or when the label conveys the impression that the color is derived from a source other than the actual source, except that:
(c) Treatment with wood. The words “colored and flavored with wood ______ (insert chips, slabs, etc., as appropriate)” shall be stated as a part of the class and type designation for whisky and brandy treated, in whole or in part, with wood through percolation, or otherwise, during distillation or storage, other than through contact with the oak container. Provided, that the above statement shall not apply to brandy treated with an infusion of oak chip in accordance with §5.23(a).
(1) In the case of whisky, whether or not mixed or blended but containing no neutral spirits, the age of the youngest whisky. The age statement shall read substantially as follows: “______ years old.”
(i) If only one straight whisky and no other whisky is contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whisky ____ years old.”
(ii) If more than one straight whisky and no other whisky is contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whiskies ____ years or more old.” The age blank shall be filled in with the age of the youngest straight whisky. In lieu of the foregoing, a statement may be made of the ages and percentages of each of the straight whiskies contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whisky ____ years old, ____ percent straight whisky ____ years old, and ____ percent straight whisky ____ years old.”
(iii) If only one straight whisky and one other whisky is contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whisky ____ years old, ____ percent whisky ____ years old.”
(iv) If more than one straight whisky and more than one other whisky is contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whiskies ____ years or more old, ____ percent whiskies ____ years or more old.” The age blanks shall be filled in with the ages of the youngest straight whisky and the youngest other whisky. In lieu of the foregoing, a statement may be made of the ages and percentages of each of the straight whiskies and other whiskies contained in the blend: “____ percent straight whisky ____ years old, ____ percent straight whisky ____ years old, ____ percent whisky ____ years old, and ____ percent whisky ____ years old.”
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, in the case of whisky produced in the United States and stored in reused oak containers, except for corn whisky, and for light whisky produced on or after January 26, 1968, there shall be stated in lieu of the words “____ years old” the period of storage in reused oak containers as follows: “____ stored ____ years in reused cooperage.”
(b) Statements of age for rum, brandy, and Tequila. Age may, but need not, be stated on labels of rums, brandies, and Tequila, except that an appropriate statement with respect to age shall appear on the brand label in case of brandy (other than immature brandies and fruit brandies which are not customarily stored in oak containers) not stored in oak containers for a period of at least 2 years. If age is stated, it shall be substantially as follows: “____ years old”; the blank to be filled in with the age of the youngest distilled spirits in the product.
(c) Statement of storage for grain spirits. In case of grain spirits, the period of storage in oak containers may be stated in immediate conjunction with the required percentage statement; for example, “____% grain spirits stored ____ years in oak containers.”
(e) Miscellaneous age representations. (1) Age may be understated but shall not be overstated.
(a) General. An individual covering, carton, or other container of the bottle used for sale at retail (other than a shipping container), or any written, printed, graphic, or other matter accompanying the bottle to the consumer buyer shall not contain any statement, design, device, or graphic, pictorial, or emblematic representation that is prohibited by §§5.31 through 5.42 on labels.
(b) Sealed opaque cartons. If bottles are enclosed in sealed opaque coverings, cartons, or other containers used for sale at retail (other than shipping containers), such coverings, cartons, or other containers must bear all mandatory label information.
(3) Specialty products for which a truthful and adequate statement of composition is required must display such statement.
(b) Miscellaneous. (1) Labels shall not be of such design as to resemble or simulate a stamp of the U.S. Government or any State or foreign government. Labels, other than stamps authorized or required by this or any other government, shall not state or indicate that the distilled spirits are distilled, blended, made, bottled, or sold under, or in accordance with, any municipal, State, Federal, or foreign authorization, law, or regulations, unless such statement is required or specifically authorized by Federal, State, municipal, or foreign law or regulations. The statements authorized by this part to appear on labels for domestic distilled spirits are “Distilled (produced, barreled, warehoused, blended, or bottled, or any combination thereof, as the case may be) under United States (U.S.) Government supervision”, or in the case of distilled spirits labeled as bottled in bond, “Bottled in bond under United States (U.S.) Government supervision”. If the municipal, State, or Federal Government permit number is stated on a label, it shall not be accompanied by any additional statement relating thereto.
(2) If imported distilled spirits are covered by a certificate of origin or of age issued by a duly authorized official of the appropriate foreign government, the label, except where prohibited by the foreign government, may refer to such certificate or the fact of such certification, but shall not be accompanied by any additional statement relating thereto. The reference to such certificate or certification shall, in the case of Cognac, be substantially in the following form: “This product accompanied at the time of importation by an ‘Acquit Regional Jaune d'Or’ issued by the French Government, indicating that this grape brandy was distilled in the Cognac Region of France”; and in the case of other distilled spirits, substantially in the following form: “This product accompanied at time of importation by a certificate issued by the ____ government (name of government) indicating that the product is ____ (class and type as required to be stated on the label), and (if label claims age) that none of the distilled spirits are of an age less than stated on this label.”
In addition to the requirements of §5.36(a) (1) or (2), the label shall bear the real name of the distillery or the trade name under which the distillery produced and warehoused the spirits, and the plant (or registered distillery) number in which produced; and the plant number in which bottled. The label may also bear the name or trade name of the bottler.
(8) Health-related statements—(i) Definitions. When used in this paragraph (b)(8), terms are defined as follows:
(A) Health-related statement means any statement related to health (other than the warning statement required by §16.21 of this chapter) and includes statements of a curative or therapeutic nature that, expressly or by implication, suggest a relationship between the consumption of alcohol, distilled spirits, or any substance found within the distilled spirits, and health benefits or effects on health. The term includes both specific health claims and general references to alleged health benefits or effects on health associated with the consumption of alcohol, distilled spirits, or any substance found within the distilled spirits, as well as health-related directional statements. The term also includes statements and claims that imply that a physical or psychological sensation results from consuming the distilled spirits, as well as statements and claims of nutritional value (e.g., statements of vitamin content). Statements concerning caloric, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content do not constitute nutritional claims about the product.
(B) Specific health claim is a type of health-related statement that, expressly or by implication, characterizes the relationship of the distilled spirits, alcohol, or any substance found within the distilled spirits, to a disease or health-related condition. Implied specific health claims include statements, symbols, vignettes, or other forms of communication that suggest, within the context in which they are presented, that a relationship exists between distilled spirits, alcohol, or any substance found within the distilled spirits, and a disease or health-related condition.
(C) Health-related directional statement is a type of health-related statement that directs or refers consumers to a third party or other source for information regarding the effects on health of distilled spirits or alcohol consumption.
(ii) Rules for labeling—(A) Health-related statements. In general, labels may not contain any health-related statement that is untrue in any particular or tends to create a misleading impression as to the effects on health of alcohol consumption. TTB will evaluate such statements on a case-by-case basis and may require as part of the health-related statement a disclaimer or some other qualifying statement to dispel any misleading impression conveyed by the health-related statement.
(B) Specific health claims. (1) TTB will consult with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as needed, on the use of a specific health claim on a distilled spirits label. If FDA determines that the use of such a labeling claim is a drug claim that is not in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, TTB will not approve the use of that specific health claim on a distilled spirits label.
(C) Health-related directional statements. A statement that directs consumers to a third party or other source for information regarding the effects on health of distilled spirits or alcohol consumption is presumed misleading unless it—
(a) Certificate of label approval. Distilled spirits, imported in bottles, are not eligible for release from customs custody for consumption, and no person may remove such distilled spirits from customs custody for consumption, unless the person removing the distilled spirits has obtained and is in possession of a certificate of label approval (COLA) and the bottles bear labels identical to the labels appearing on the face of the certificate, or labels with changes authorized by the form. Any person removing distilled spirits in bottles from customs custody for consumption must first apply for and obtain a COLA covering the distilled spirits from the appropriate TTB officer, or obtain authorization to use the COLA from the person to whom the COLA is issued. Products imported under another person's COLA are eligible for release only if each bottle or individual container to be imported bears the name (or trade name) and address of the person to whom the COLA was issued by TTB, and only if the importer using the COLA to obtain release of a shipment can substantiate that the person to whom the COLA was issued has authorized its use by the importer. If filing electronically, the importer must file with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), at the time of filing the customs entry, the TTB-assigned identification number of the valid COLA that corresponds to the label on the brand or lot of distilled spirits to be imported. If the importer is not filing electronically, the importer must provide a copy of the COLA to CBP at time of entry. In addition, the importer must provide a copy of the applicable COLA, and proof of the COLA holder's authorization if applicable, upon request by the appropriate TTB officer or a customs officer. The COLA requirement imposed by this section applies only to distilled spirits that are removed for sale or any other commercial purpose. See 27 CFR 27.49, 27.74 and 27.75 for labeling exemptions applicable to certain imported samples of distilled spirits.
(c) Relabeling. Imported distilled spirits in U.S. Customs custody which are not labeled in conformity with certificates of label approval issued by the appropriate TTB officer must be relabeled prior to release under the supervision of the Customs officers of the port at which the spirits are located.
[T.D. ATF-66, 45 FR 40549, June 13, 1980, as amended by T.D. ATF-94, 46 FR 55097, Nov. 6, 1981; T.D. ATF-242, 51 FR 39525, Oct. 29, 1986; T.D. ATF-359, 59 FR 42160, Aug. 17, 1994; T.D. ATF-406, 64 FR 2129, Jan. 13, 1999; T.D. TTB-145, 81 FR 94198, Dec. 22, 2016]
(a) Requirement. Distilled spirits shall not be bottled or removed from a plant, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, unless the proprietor possesses a certificate of label approval, TTB Form 5100.31, covering the labels on the bottle, issued by the appropriate TTB officer pursuant to application on such form. Application for certificates of label approval covering labels for imported gin bearing the word “distilled” as a part of the designation shall be accompanied by a statement prepared by the manufacturer setting forth a step-by-step description of the manufacturing process.
(b) Exemption. Any bottler of distilled spirits shall be exempt from the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section and §5.56 if the bottler possesses a certificate of exemption from label approval, TTB Form 5100.31, issued by the appropriate TTB officer pursuant to application on that Form showing that the distilled spirits to be bottled are not to be sold, offered for sale, or shipped or delivered for shipment, or otherwise introduced into interstate or foreign commerce.
(c) Miscellaneous. Photoprints or other reproductions of certificates of label approval, or certificates of exemption are not acceptable as substitutes for an original or duplicate original (issued, on request, by the appropriate TTB officer) of a certificate. The original or duplicate original of such certificates shall, on demand, be exhibited to an authorized officer of the U.S. Government.
Distilled spirits that would be required under §5.52 to be covered by a certificate of age and/or a certificate of origin and that are imported in bulk for bottling in the United States may be removed from the plant where bottled only if the bottler possesses a certificate of age and/or a certificate of origin, issued by an official duly authorized by the foreign government as set forth in §5.52, applicable to the spirits that provides the same information as a certificate required under §5.52 would provide for like spirits imported in bottles. The bottler of distilled spirits imported in bulk must retain for five years following the removal of such spirits from the domestic plant where bottled copies of the certificates required by §5.52(a) through (e), and must provide them upon request of the appropriate TTB officer.
[T.D. TTB-145, 81 FR 94199, Dec. 22, 2016]
(9) The words “double distilled” or “triple distilled” or any similar terms unless it is a truthful statement of fact; except that “double distilled” or “triple distilled” shall not be permitted in advertisements of distilled spirits produced by the redistillation method when a second or third distillation step is a necessary distillation process for the production of the product.
[T.D. 7020, 34 FR 20337, Dec. 30, 1969, as amended by T.D. ATF-180, 49 FR 31674, Aug. 8, 1984; T.D. TTB-1, 68 FR 10105, Mar. 3, 2003]
(a) Use of the term “organic” is optional and is treated as “additional information on labels” under §5.33(f).
(b) Any use of the term “organic” on a distilled spirits label or in advertising of distilled spirits must comply with the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program rules, 7 CFR part 205, as interpreted by the USDA.