India’s food safety regulator has halted the sale of several popular whiskies and rums after finding they contained artificial or nature-identical flavourings. The decision affects brands produced by Diageo’s United Spirits subsidiary, Inbrew Beverages and Old Monk maker Mohan Rocky Springwater at selected production sites.
India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has barred the sale of some popular whiskies and rum made by Diageo’s United Spirits subsidiary and Inbrew Beverages for using artificial flavouring.
The FSSAI said it permits the use of natural flavouring substances in alcoholic drinks, but its tests found that some Diageo and Inbrew factories were adding flavours of the alcoholic beverage itself, for example adding rum flavour to rum.
“There is no internationally recognised manufacturing practice whereby rum flavour is added to rum or whisky flavour is added to whisky,” the FSSAI said.
It added that such flavourings could allow companies to bypass maturation or the use of natural ingredients such as molasses, malt or grapes.
Popular brands affected
The locally made spirits involved include popular brands such as United Spirits’ Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky, produced in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Inbrew’s Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum, also made in the same state.
The regulator has also banned sales of three popular variants of Old Monk, one of India’s best-known and oldest rum brands, produced by Mohan Rocky Springwater in Maharashtra.
However, sales of existing stocks can continue.
None of the producers involved has commented.
Why the products failed
The FSSAI tests found the spirits were “sub-standard due to the presence of external artificial or nature identical flavours”.
The regulator said adding whisky flavour to whisky or rum flavour to rum could mask the beverages’ natural characteristics and mislead consumers.
Products containing such additives cannot be marketed simply as standard whisky or rum. Instead, they must be labelled according to their actual composition, such as “whisky-flavoured spirit” or “rum-flavoured spirit”, with the disclosure appearing prominently on the front of the pack.
The FSSAI clarified that flavouring substances are not prohibited in alcoholic beverages. Their use is permitted where there is a legitimate technological justification.
The concern relates specifically to the addition of flavourings that imitate the defining sensory characteristics of the standardised alcoholic beverage itself.
In one case, a rum carrying a “7 years old blended” claim was found to consist primarily of neutral, unaged spirit, with matured rum accounting for less than 5% of the blend.
Industry response
Reuters reported that senior industry executives were concerned by the order and believed the addition of flavourings was consistent with Indian regulations.
It remains unclear whether the ban applies only to products made at the named production facilities or extends to the same brands produced elsewhere.
Wider regulatory crackdown
The action comes as the FSSAI increases scrutiny of beverage producers.
Recently, the regulator ordered manufacturers of high-caffeine beverages marketed as “energy drinks” to stop using that description, rejecting requests from PepsiCo and Red Bull to delay any ban while negotiations continue.
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