FSSAI Bans Sale of Misrepresented Rum and Whisky Brands

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued prohibition-of-sale orders and legal notices to several alcoholic beverage manufacturers for violating flavoring and labeling regulations. The regulator alleges that companies added artificial or nature-identical flavors to mimic the taste of standard rum and whisky to mask sub-standard spirits, which contravenes rules requiring products to possess their natural characteristic taste and aroma.

The crackdown targets major producers including United Spirits Ltd, INBREW Beverages, Mohan Rocky Springwater, and Associated Alcohol & Breweries. Specific affected brands include McDowell's No.1 Rum, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, Royal Challenge Whisky, Antiquity Blue Whisky, and Old Monk. The FSSAI specifically flagged an Old Monk XXX Rum variant for a misleading "7 years old blended" claim, as the product contained less than 5 percent matured rum spirit.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that such products are misrepresented and should be labeled as "Rum-flavoured Spirit" or "Whisky-flavoured Spirit" rather than standard categories. While flavorings are permitted with technological justification, the Ministry noted that adding the flavor of the standardized beverage itself is not an internationally recognized practice. Enforcement actions followed inspections and sampling at facilities in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa, including United Spirits' Baramati plant and the Khopoli unit of Mohan Rocky Springwater.