Professional Ethics & Standards Flashcards

Which statement best describes the ethical obligation of a CBP professional regarding social media content about bourbon?

Answer: Paid partnerships must be disclosed using clear language such as #ad or #sponsored

FTC guidelines require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections, including paid partnerships, regardless of follower count or content format.

A bourbon distillery asks a CBP professional to write tasting notes claiming their product has 'twice the flavor complexity of competitors.' This claim is ethically problematic because:

Answer: Flavor complexity is subjective and the comparison lacks substantiation

Unsubstantiated superlative comparative claims about subjective qualities like 'flavor complexity' are misleading and violate professional standards for honest representation.

When a CBP professional is consulted by media about industry practices, the ethical standard regarding confidential employer information is to:

Answer: Share non-proprietary information while protecting trade secrets and confidential data

Professionals may speak to media about general industry matters but must protect confidential business information, trade secrets, and proprietary processes.

A CBP professional notices that a distillery's quality control records have been falsified to cover up a contaminated batch. The appropriate ethical action is to:

Answer: Report the falsification internally and, if unresolved, to the TTB

Falsified quality control records pose consumer safety risks; the ethical obligation is to report internally first and escalate to regulators if the issue is not resolved.

In the context of CBP professional standards, 'responsible service' at a tasting event most critically means:

Answer: Monitoring guest consumption and refusing service to visibly intoxicated individuals

Responsible service requires active monitoring of guest consumption and the obligation to refuse further service to guests who show signs of intoxication.

A bourbon professional working for a distillery is approached by a competitor offering to pay for information about proprietary mash bills. The ethical response is to:

Answer: Decline immediately and report the approach to their employer

Sharing proprietary employer information to a competitor violates duties of loyalty and confidentiality; the approach itself must be reported to the employer.

Which of the following best exemplifies the principle of 'truth in labeling' as it applies to CBP professional ethics?

Answer: Accurately disclosing on the label that caramel coloring was added

Accurately disclosing additives like caramel coloring on the label upholds the standard of truthful representation that professional ethics and TTB regulations require.