The government has clarified that recent enforcement action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was not directed at the alcohol industry as a whole but at specific manufacturers found to be violating existing food safety regulations. The action has drawn widespread attention after products including certain Old Monk rum variants were named in prohibition-of-sale orders.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the action relates to the use of flavouring substances that mimic the inherent aroma and taste of standardised alcoholic beverages such as rum and whisky, along with allegedly misleading age-related claims on product labels.

The ministry said investigations found that some manufacturers were producing alcoholic beverages mainly from spirit or extra-neutral alcohol before adding flavours externally to recreate the sensory characteristics associated with rum and whisky.

It said such products are considered sub-standard and are also misrepresented by being marketed under the names of standard categories. The ministry added that consumers were not adequately informed on the front of the package about the actual nature of these products.

Laboratory testing of sampled rum and whisky products from multiple manufacturers reportedly detected the presence of external artificial or nature-identical flavours. Based on these findings, the ministry said the added flavours masked the products' natural flavour profile, making them sub-standard under existing regulations.

The government also referred to the "7 years old blended" claim on an Old Monk XXX Rum variant, calling it misleading. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, the age claim of a blended spirit is determined by the youngest spirit used in the blend.

Based on laboratory reports, FSSAI issued prohibition-of-sale orders against products manufactured at Mohan Rocky Springwater's Khopoli unit, United Spirits' Baramati facility, INBREW Beverages in Madhya Pradesh, Associated Alcohol & Breweries in Madhya Pradesh and another United Spirits unit in Madhya Pradesh.

The products covered by the action include Old Monk rum variants, McDowell's No.1 Rum, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum, Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky.

The ministry also said inspections and product sampling were carried out at Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries in Goa, while notices were issued to six other manufacturers in Maharashtra.

Clarifying the regulatory position, the government said flavouring substances such as coffee and vanilla remain permissible where legally allowed and supported by a valid technological justification.

It stressed that the present issue concerns the addition of flavours representing the alcoholic beverage itself, such as rum flavour in rum or whisky flavour in whisky.

The ministry also said the enforcement action should not be seen as reflecting the entire alcohol industry, adding that several manufacturers continue to produce alcoholic beverages in compliance with prescribed food safety standards.

With IANS inputs