Food & Agriculture

CFA, CSPI Urge Alcohol Regulators to Protect Public Health in Trade Practice Rule Reform

CFA and the Center for Science in the Public Interest submitted the following comments to the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), expressing support for trade practice regulation reforms that both foster competition and support public health goals. The letter asks TTB to adopt reforms that will help protect consumers, particularly underage consumers, from unfair competition that promotes overall consumption of alcoholic beverages. In particular, it urges TTB to remove the exception that currently allows manufacturers to provide retailers with shelf plans and shelf schematics that direct prominent placement of alcoholic beverages, and to curb other anti-competitive stocking practices. The letter further asks the agency to update its trade practice regulations to define “slotting fees” – fees paid to retailers for stocking and displaying products — to include display space at retail premises, virtual display space, payments for trade promotion, and the provision of subsidized equipment that is reserved for the member’s products.