FSSAI Cracks Down on Major Liquor Brands, Halts Sale of Select Whisky and Rum Variants Across India
India’s food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has initiated one of its biggest enforcement actions against the alcoholic beverages industry, directing the suspension of sales of select whisky and rum products manufactured by leading companies including United Spirits (Diageo India), INBREW Beverages and Mohan Rocky Springwater. The action follows laboratory findings that certain products allegedly contained artificial or “nature identical” flavouring substances that do not comply with existing food safety standards.
Among the affected products are popular brands such as Antiquity Blue Whisky, Royal Challenge Whisky, McDowell’s No. 1 Rum, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum and three variants of Old Monk rum manufactured at specific facilities. According to the regulator, the issue is linked to the use of flavouring substances intended to replicate the taste and aroma of naturally aged spirits, a practice FSSAI says is not recognised under applicable manufacturing standards.
FSSAI stated that alcoholic beverages must derive their characteristic flavour through approved ingredients and production processes rather than through externally added artificial or nature-identical flavours. Based on laboratory analysis, the regulator classified the affected products as “sub-standard” under the Food Safety and Standards framework and ordered that their manufacture and sale be stopped until regulatory requirements are met.
The companies, however, have disputed the regulator’s interpretation. United Spirits has challenged the action before the courts, maintaining that its product labels and formulations comply with prevailing Indian regulations. Industry executives have also argued that the use of certain flavouring substances has long been accepted within the domestic spirits industry and that the regulator’s interpretation could have wider implications for manufacturers across the sector.
The enforcement action appears to target products manufactured at specific production units rather than imposing an immediate nationwide prohibition on every bottle of the affected brands. Authorities have not yet clarified whether products manufactured at other facilities remain unaffected, creating uncertainty for distributors, retailers and consumers.
The move comes as FSSAI intensifies regulatory oversight across India’s food and beverage industry. In recent weeks, the authority has also taken action against misleading product claims in other sectors, signalling a broader effort to strengthen compliance with food safety and labelling standards. For India’s estimated $40-billion alcoholic beverage market, the latest crackdown is expected to prompt manufacturers to review product formulations, labelling practices and quality-control systems while the legal and regulatory dispute unfolds.
