Are Smirnoff’s GMO-free vodka labels illegal?

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Image Credit: Smirnoff

Smirnoff, a vodka brand, has tried to place itself under a health halo by claiming it is not only gluten-free but non-GMO as well.

So why claim it is better to use non-GMO corn, when it is better for the environment? That’s marketing, they believe their customers want that. And it may be their downfall. As Stephan Niedenbach notes, FDA lets organic food and supplements have a Wild West for Woo when it comes to labels, as long as they state somewhere FDA has not approved their cosmic claims, but alcohol is another issue.

Making a gluten-free health claim will pass muster even if its ethically disgusting. Corn has no gluten anyway but celiac disease is a health issue and customers can be made aware of products without gluten. But GMOs are not a health issue, even when USDA created the “organic” food standard they said it was solely for marketing.

If they do market “non-GMO” as a health claim, that is prohibited by the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. As the site alcohol.law notes, “be sure to keep the TTB’s position in mind before submitting a certificate of label approval with any “GMO” related terms or references.”

Read full, original article: Is Smirnoff Breaking The Law With Its Non-GMO Alcohol Label?

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