Bombay High Court grants FSSAI time until August 24 to respond to Old Monk, McDowell’s petitions
The court noted the absence of evidence from the petitioners; FSSAI had requested the court to withhold any relief to the companies until it filed its response
The Bombay High Court has granted the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) until August 24 to respond to petitions filed by manufacturers of Old Monk and McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Rum. These petitions challenge prohibition orders issued by the FSSAI, which prohibit the sale of the products due to alleged violations of food safety standards.
The court dismissed the Union of India's petition, which claimed that the products contained artificial flavors, noting the absence of evidence from the petitioners to support this claim. The FSSAI argued that relabelling of the products would be a complex process, requiring removal of existing labels and approval of new labels from the State Excise Department.
The manufacturers, United Spirits Limited and Mohan Meakin Limited, have been fined and have expressed concerns over the prohibition orders, stating that they have incurred daily losses due to these orders and that no complaints about the quality or safety of their products have been received.
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