FSSAI serves notices to USL, INBREW for mimicking natural flavours in alcohol

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices to several alcoholic beverage manufacturers, including United Spirits Ltd (USL) and INBREW Beverages, for adding flavours that imitate the natural profile of their products. The regulator, however, clarified on Sunday that the use of flavouring substances is not prohibited in itself.

According to an official statement, the notices were issued because certain manufacturers are adding the flavour of the standardised alcoholic beverage itself — for instance, rum flavour in rum or whisky flavour in whisky. FSSAI said this practice directly contravenes the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, which stipulate that these products must exclusively possess their true, natural characteristic taste and aroma.

The regulator named specific plants and companies involved. A notice has been sent to USL's Baramati plant in Maharashtra, which produces McDowell's No 1 Rum. USL's Madhya Pradesh plant, which manufactures Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky, has also been named. USL is now owned by British spirits major Diageo Plc.

In addition, notices have been issued to Mohan Rocky Springwater, INBREW Beverages, and Associated Alcohol & Breweries. FSSAI said it has also carried out inspections and sampling in Goa at the premises of Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries. Six other manufacturers in Maharashtra have received notices, and further action is expected to follow.

The disclosure comes after FSSAI initially announced on July 10 that it had issued notices to alcoholic beverage manufacturers for alleged violations but had withheld the names of the companies and their facilities. The regulator had observed that manufacturers were not complying with provisions related to the prohibited use of added flavours, misleading age-related claims, and blend age disclosures. On Sunday, it issued a clarification to explain its position and reveal the identities of the entities involved.

FSSAI's clarification underscores that the issue is not the use of flavouring substances per se, but the addition of flavours that mimic a product's inherent character. The regulation applies to standardised alcoholic beverages such as rum, brandy, gin, malt or grain whisky, wine, and beer. The regulator emphasised that such blending compromises the authenticity of these products and could mislead consumers about their quality and origin.

The FSSAI, established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, is responsible for protecting public health by setting science-based standards and enforcing them across the food and beverage sector. The Alcoholic Beverages Regulations, 2018, were introduced to harmonise quality and safety norms for alcohol products in India. The regulator's latest action is part of ongoing efforts to enforce these standards, and further necessary action is expected in cases where violations are confirmed.