At 12 10 05, 11:51 AM, Remek Kocz wrote:
Are these domestically manufactured cans or are they imported? It's
too bad that there is so much resistance to labelling them with the
metric contents. Alcoholic beverages are mostly sold in metric
anyways, so it's just depressing to see the beer can and bottle
desperately holding on to the customary sizes.
The brands are import brands, but I do not know where specifically
they are canned and labeled. I'll pay attention to this in the future.
Don't confuse inertia with resistance. There is no reason to believe
there is any active resistance to metric labeling, only some label
designers saying "oh, we need to put ounces on here" and not
bothering with the metric.
Below is a post sent to me privately by someone who has actually
researched the labeling issue. This was done about two years ago, so
is probably quite reliable. My thanks to the person who sent this for
their research.
Jim
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Jim:
The law requires non-metric on the label. Metric is optional.
Beer labels are not covered by the FPLA, they are covered by the 'Net
contents' section of:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/27cfr7_02.html
The responsibility is that of the TTB [see below]. I asked them about
it 2 years ago.
Here is the response. Feel free to post this to the others, as long as my
email address is removed.
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I hope that I can respond to your inquiry about the possibility of metric
beer labels for use in the United States.
Although we require wine and distilled spirits to be packaged in true metric
size containers and labeled accordingly in metric units, the United States
does not require metric labeling for malt beverages or beer. In fact, our
regulations require that malt beverages be labeled in customary U.S. measure
of ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons. Many containers display optional
metric contents, but they must still bear the mandatory content statement in
U.S. measure.
During the 1970's both the wine and distilled spirits industries petitioned
the-then Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to change the rules
with regard to labeling. ATF proposed metric labeling of these commodities
and ultimately adopted the current rules after public hearings and comment
on the subject. As I recall there was no substantial opposition to the
proposals as both the wine and spirits industries solidly backed them.
Neither the United States brewing industry nor the import industry have
expressed any interest to us in labeling malt beverage containers in metric
units. While ATF was willing to propose metric labeling for wine and
spirits, without the active support of the brewing industry, there simply
was no incentive to propose metric labeling for malt beverages.
Today in 2003 the climate may have changed for metric labeling of malt
beverages. However, I am unaware of any pending Federal legislation that
would permit metric only labeling for consumer products.
The alcohol functions of ATF have been assumed by a new bureau, the Alcohol
and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). We welcome petitions from industry
members, trade organizations, consumers, and consumer organizations to
change our regulations. We would certainly consider a petition to amend our
27 CFR Part 7, Labeling and Advertising of Malt Beverages, regulations to
require metric labeling. [As a practical matter I do not believe we would
consider a rule to permit, but not require, malt beverages to be labeled
with only metric net contents].
A petition to amend regulations must be addressed to the Administrator, TTB,
cite the regulatory section involved, 27 CFR 7.27, and must give sufficient
justification to support the regulations change. TTB is also interested in
receiving information about the economic or trade impact of any proposed
regulations change. Petitions should be addressed to:
Administrator
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
650 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20226
You may access our malt beverage labeling regulations at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/27cfr7_02.html
<http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/27cfr7_02.html>
Please contact me if you have further questions.
