Vodka Producer’s Proposed Genetic Health Claims Misleading

Bellion Spirits LLC was properly barred from advertising supposed DNA-related health benefits of its vodka because it failed to provide scientific support for its proposed claims, making them misleading, a federal appeals court in the District of Columbia affirmed Friday.

Bellion infuses its vodka with NTX, a proprietary blend that Bellion contends mitigates alcohol’s damage to a person’s DNA. The company sought regulatory permission to claim that “NTX helps protect DNA from alcohol-induced damage” and “NTX reduces alcohol-induced DNA damage.”

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau found the health claims weren’t supported by credible evidence and created a ...