FSSAI Crackdown: Old Monk, McDowell’s, Antiquity Blue, Royal Challenge Under Scanner

 

 

 

New Delhi: A major regulatory crackdown has put several popular rum and whisky brands under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) scanner, with the food regulator acting against certain manufacturers over the alleged use of identical external flavours, misleading product descriptions and deceptive ageing claims.

In a detailed clarification issued through the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on August 2, FSSAI said its action followed laboratory findings indicating that certain alcoholic beverages were being produced predominantly from neutral or extra-neutral alcohol and then given the characteristic taste and aroma of rum or whisky through external flavouring.

The regulator made it clear, however, that flavouring substances themselves are not banned in alcoholic beverages. The issue, it said, is specifically the practice of adding the flavour of the same standardised alcoholic beverage—for instance, “rum flavour” to rum or “whisky flavour” to whisky—when that characteristic profile is expected to arise naturally from the product’s raw materials and manufacturing process.

The core issue: “Is it really rum or whisky?”

According to FSSAI, the characteristic sensory profile of an alcoholic beverage develops through a combination of its base material, fermentation, yeast activity, distillation, maturation and other recognised processes.

The regulator said some manufacturers were instead using spirit or neutral alcohol, which has little or no specific flavour, and subsequently adding external flavouring to recreate the taste and aroma associated with standard categories.

FSSAI said such products could be considered “rum-flavoured spirit” or “whisky-flavoured spirit”, rather than being presented simply as standard rum or whisky. It also pointed to Regulation 5.1 of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, under which the front of a food package must carry a name indicating the true nature of the product.

Laboratory findings trigger action

FSSAI said rum and whisky samples from multiple manufacturers were tested in laboratories. According to the regulator, the laboratories found the products to be sub-standard because of the presence of external artificial or nature-identical flavours.

The regulator cited the requirement under Regulation 2.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, that rum must possess the characteristic taste and aroma associated with the product.

FSSAI said laboratory reports observed that artificial flavours could mask the natural flavour of the product, while failure to identify such products appropriately as flavoured or premix products could potentially mislead consumers.

“7 Years Old Blended” Old Monk claim questioned

One of the most striking findings concerns an Old Monk XXX Rum variant carrying a “7 years old blended” claim.

FSSAI said its investigation found that the major ingredient was neutral, unmatured or unaged spirit, while matured rum spirit accounted for less than 5%, according to its findings.

The regulator said the age declaration for a blend should correspond to the youngest spirit used in the blend under the applicable regulations, making the claim a matter of regulatory concern.

Which brands and manufacturers faced prohibition of sale?

Based on non-conforming laboratory reports, FSSAI said prohibition-of-sale orders were issued in cases involving:

• Mohan Rocky Springwater, Khopoli: Old Monk The Legend, Old Monk Gold Reserve and Old Monk XXX Matured Rum;
• United Spirits, Baramati: McDowell’s No. 1 Rum;
• INBREW Beverages, Madhya Pradesh: Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum;
• Associated Alcohol & Breweries, Madhya Pradesh: Central Province Whisky and McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Matured XXX Rum; and
• United Spirits, Madhya Pradesh: Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky.

The action is significant because several of these are widely recognised brands, but FSSAI’s release refers to specific products/manufacturing units and regulatory findings; it does not announce a blanket ban on every product sold under these brand names.

More manufacturers face scrutiny

The regulatory action is not limited to the units listed above.

FSSAI said inspections and sampling had also been carried out at Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries in Goa, while notices were issued to six other manufacturers in Maharashtra, with further action expected.

Relief for some existing stocks—but stricter rules ahead

FSSAI also disclosed that two manufacturers had appealed against prohibition-of-sale orders and received conditional revocation.

Under the relaxation, existing stocks could be sold after clearly revealing the true nature of the product on the front of the package. For future production, however, the manufacturers were directed not to add identical flavours such as rum flavour or whisky flavour to the corresponding standard alcoholic beverages.

FSSAI: This is not a crackdown on the entire alcohol industry

Importantly, the regulator sought to prevent the controversy from being interpreted as an industry-wide ban.

FSSAI said the issue “is not representative of the entire industry”, noting that several manufacturers continue to produce standardised alcoholic beverages in compliance with prescribed standards.

The authority also stressed that permissible natural and nature-identical flavours can still be used where allowed by law and supported by a legitimate technological purpose. Its objection is specifically to using the flavour of the standardised alcoholic beverage itself to recreate characteristics that should arise from the product’s ingredients and manufacturing process.

Why the action matters

At the heart of the FSSAI action is a simple consumer question: Does the name and description on the bottle accurately reflect what is actually inside it?

The regulator says its standards are designed to ensure that the chemical and sensory characteristics of alcoholic beverages remain authentic to their raw-material origins and that food businesses do not use additives or claims that could mislead consumers.

The latest action therefore goes beyond a dispute over flavour. It touches upon product authenticity, labelling transparency, ageing claims and consumer protection in India’s alcoholic-beverage market.

And with further notices and regulatory action expected, the FSSAI’s crackdown could put greater pressure on manufacturers to demonstrate that what is labelled rum or whisky is actually produced in accordance with the standards associated with those categories.