Are Homebrew Ingredients Regulated by the FDA or TTB?

[gutterman]

My company ships and warehouses various goods. Having a discussion at work, there is some concern that Homebrew kits are regulated by the FDA as a 'food', but cannot point to any laws that state this. Curios if anyone has come across any laws related to FDA or TTB regulating raw ingredients used in beer for home consumption.

I've run through the googles as best I can, before we start paying expensive attorneys to rummage as well, hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

 

[IslandLizard]

Contact the FDA?

 

[okiedog]

Like food items in your local grocery store, they are regulated by the FDA, basically to insure that they are safe for human consumption. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau (TTB) would only get involved when you are brewing the beer as a business, and selling it.

 

[okiedog]

Like food items in your local grocery store, they are regulated by the FDA, basically to insure that they are safe for human consumption. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau (TTB) would only get involved when you are brewing the beer as a business, and selling it.

 

[Vale71]

That's the first thing a Google search spat out, so I would say that the FDA definitely has regulation pertaining to malt which is the main component for beer kits:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=184.1443a&SearchTerm=malt

And here is dried yeast, which is actually considered an additive:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.896

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

If they were food, I would like to see them not taxed. With that said, obviously you would not want the kits near pesticides and, I believe, they cannot be stored touching the floor. But, contacting your local health dept. would likely get some answers.

 

[gutterman]

Contact the FDA?

We have a call into them, but not sure on how quickly/if they will call back...