FSSAI bans multiple liquor brands in India, including Old Monk and McDowell's No 1: Check full list
The FSSAI has banned three Old Monk rum variants for using artificial flavours instead of proper ageing methods. Other brands, such as McDowell's No. 1 Rum and Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, are also included in the ban.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently banned several liquor brands in India, including Old Monk and McDowell's No 1 Rum. The Indian manufacturer of these brands, Mohan Raj and United Spirits, respectively, produced the affected products at their facilities in Khopoli and Baramati. The FSSAI cited the use of artificial flavors as a reason for the ban, alleging that these flavors replace proper aging methods and mislead consumers about the product's composition and age.
The regulator has specifically targeted Old Monk's XXX Rum, which they found to contain artificial flavors rather than the mandated proper aging process. Furthermore, the FSSAI has banned Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum, as well as Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky for similar violations. These findings were reached after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of artificial or nature-identical flavors, which the FSSAI considers substandard and misleading to consumers.
In response to the bans, Diageo India has challenged the order in the Bombay High Court, claiming there are no legal barriers to their labeling methods. The FSSAI clarified its stance, stating that there is no internationally recognized practice of adding rum flavor to rum or whisky flavor to whisky, and such additives can mislead consumers.
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