The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has barred the sale of select variants of rum and whisky manufactured by United Spirits, Inbrew Beverages and Mohan Rocky Springwater after laboratory tests found the use of artificial flavouring in the alcoholic beverages.
The move is part of the food regulator's ongoing efforts to strengthen quality and safety standards across the food and beverage sector, according to FSSAI, the affected products were found to contain external artificial or nature-identical flavours that were added to the beverages to achieve their taste and aroma.
Among the products covered under the action are Inbrew Beverages' Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum, which are produced in Madhya Pradesh and the order also includes select variants of Old Monk Rum manufactured in Maharashtra, including Old Monk The Legend, Old Monk Gold Reserve and Old Monk XXX Matured Rum.
FSSAI said the use of flavours such as rum flavour in rum and whisky flavour in whisky does not follow internationally recognised manufacturing practices, and according to the regulator, alcoholic beverages such as rum and whisky are expected to develop their flavour naturally through the use of approved ingredients and the ageing or maturation process.
The authority stated that laboratory tests found these products to be substandard because they contained external artificial or nature-identical flavours, it added that such practices could allow manufacturers to bypass the normal maturation process or reduce reliance on natural raw materials such as molasses, malt or grapes, which are traditionally used in the production of alcoholic beverages.
In its statement, FSSAI said there is no internationally accepted practice that permits adding rum flavour to rum or whisky flavour to whisky, the regulator maintained that consumers should receive products that comply with established food standards and manufacturing norms.
The latest action comes as FSSAI has increased scrutiny of food and beverage manufacturers across the country, in recent weeks, the regulator has taken several steps to enforce compliance with food safety regulations and prevent misleading claims.
Earlier, FSSAI directed Dabur to remove "100%" claims from several products, including honey, apple cider vinegar, virgin coconut oil, sesame oil, cow ghee, coconut water and coconut milk, stating that such claims could mislead consumers, while last week, the regulator also instructed manufacturers of high-caffeine beverages, including products sold by Pepsi and Red Bull, to stop marketing them as "energy drinks." According to FSSAI, the description did not align with existing food regulations and required corrective action.
The recent series of regulatory measures reflects FSSAI's broader focus on ensuring that food and beverage products sold in India meet prescribed quality standards and the authority has said that stricter monitoring and enforcement are aimed at protecting consumer interests and ensuring greater compliance with food safety laws across the industry.
