Are You Counting Calories in Your Craft Beer?
Only politicians can invent happy and noble monikers for their intrusions on liberty and common sense. One such gem is the “Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
So what does this have to do with alcohol beverages, the primary focus at BevX.com?
If you see the federal government as being competent, trustworthy, and wise then we simply (and incredibly) disagree.
This act further intertwines the operations of the FDA with the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau). Yes this is the off-shoot of the ATF but since there are numerous photos and videos of the AFT making a mess in Waco, Texas back in 1993 it was better to rebrand.
Well the TTB intends to audit every brewery by 2016. The FDA and TTB are requiring breweries huge and small to offer nutritional information on beers sold in chain restaurants. Of course this will apply to most any airport outlet and many other places that may appear to be smaller operations while the government considers them to be a chain.
The large brewers can more easily absorb these costs while most small brewers cannot afford to comply. The result will be the limiting of choices to consumers. If only the big boys can afford the testing and labeling then this is what you will have on offer.
Should you care deeply about the calorie count in your IPA?