New Delhi, August 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central government on Monday clarified that recent enforcement action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) against several alcoholic beverage manufacturers pertains to alleged violations of food safety regulations involving the use of flavouring substances and misleading product labelling.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said the action was initiated after investigations found instances where certain manufacturers produced alcoholic beverages primarily using spirit or extra-neutral alcohol and later added external flavouring substances to recreate the characteristic aroma and taste associated with standardised beverages such as rum and whisky.
According to the ministry, such practices render the products sub-standard under existing regulations and may mislead consumers by presenting them as standard categories of alcoholic beverages without adequately disclosing their true composition.
The ministry said laboratory analysis of sampled rum and whisky products from multiple manufacturers detected the presence of artificial or nature-identical flavouring agents. It added that the addition of such flavouring substances masks the natural flavour profile expected in these products and is inconsistent with prescribed standards.
The government also referred to the “7 Years Old Blended” claim used on an Old Monk XXX Rum variant, stating that the claim was misleading under the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018. It noted that the declared age of a blended spirit must be based on the youngest spirit used in the blend.
Based on laboratory findings, 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 affected products 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 further said inspections and sampling were conducted at Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries in Goa, while notices were served to six other manufacturers in Maharashtra as part of the ongoing regulatory exercise.
Clarifying the scope of the action, the ministry emphasised that flavouring agents such as coffee or vanilla remain permissible where legally allowed and supported by a valid technological purpose. The present action, it said, specifically concerns the addition of flavours intended to imitate the standardised alcoholic beverage itself, such as rum flavour in rum or whisky flavour in whisky.
The government also stressed that the action is limited to specific cases of non-compliance and should not be viewed as representative of the entire alcoholic beverage industry, noting that many manufacturers continue to adhere to the prescribed food safety standards.
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