Several popular rum and whisky brands in India, including Old Monk and McDowell’s No 1, have faced sales prohibitions due to non-conforming artificial flavouring, prompting regulatory action from the ministry of health & family welfare to ensure product authenticity and consumer protection.
IMAGE: Bottles of rum and whisky. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- Several popular rum and whisky brands, including Old Monk and McDowell’s No 1, were prohibited from sales after failing laboratory tests for non-conforming flavouring.
- The prohibition orders targeted products from manufacturers in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, specifically for adding artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances.
- Conditional revocation orders were issued for two manufacturers, allowing them to sell existing stock if they prominently disclose the product’s true nature on the label.
- Future production for these manufacturers is banned from adding artificial rum or whisky flavours, ensuring authenticity to raw material origins.
- The ministry of health clarified that the issue is confined to specific manufacturers using neutral alcohol and adding artificial flavours, not the entire alcoholic beverage industry.
The sale of several popular rum and whiskey brands has been prohibited after laboratory tests found their samples to be non-conforming with prescribed standards.
The authorities issued prohibition-of-sale orders against these rum and whiskey products manufactured at units in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Regulatory Action Against Manufacturers
According to a press release from the ministry of health & family welfare, the action covers products manufactured by M/s Mohan Rocky Springwater’s Khopoli unit, M/s United Spirits’ Baramati unit, M/s INBREW Beverages in Madhya Pradesh, M/s Associated Alcohol & Breweries in Madhya Pradesh, and M/s United Spirits in Madhya Pradesh.
This has resulted in the following spirits disappearing from shop shelves:
3 Old Monk rum variants — The Legend, Gold Reserve, XXX Matured Rum; McDowell’s No 1 Rum; Bagpiper Deluxe Whiskey; Old Cask deluxe XXX Rum; Central Province Whiskey; McDowells No. 1 Celebration matured XXX Rum; Antiquity Blue Whiskey; and Royal Challenge Whiskey.
Conditional Revocation and Future Directives
“Few manufacturers are found to add flavour externally, which mimics the product’s inherent aroma and taste, and sell the same as a standard product, thereby misleading consumers,” the release said.
However, the ministry said it had issued conditional revocation orders after two manufacturers appealed against the prohibition of sale.
Under the revised orders, the manufacturers have been allowed to sell their existing stock provided they disclose the true nature of the product prominently on the front of the label.
For future production, the manufacturers have been directed not to add artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances, including rum flavour or whiskey flavour, to the products.
However, it was not immediately clear which two manufacturers had been granted the conditional relief.
The companies concerned had not publicly responded to the findings or the regulatory action at the time of publication.
Industry-Wide Context and Standards
The ministry of health and family welfare further clarified that the regulatory action should not be seen as representative of the alcoholic beverage industry as a whole.
It said several manufacturers continue to produce standardised alcoholic beverages that fully comply with prescribed standards.
The ministry further maintained that there is no internationally recognised manufacturing practice of adding rum flavour to rum or whiskey flavour to whiskey to generate the defining sensory characteristics of standardised alcoholic beverages.
It said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s regulations are intended to ensure that the chemical composition of alcoholic beverages remains authentic to their raw material origins and prohibit the use of additives that could mislead consumers.
The ministry added that the regulator is mandated to protect consumers’ interests and ensure fair practices in the food trade through the enforcement of food safety standards.
