Food Manifest 
Significant Update
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated enforcement action against several alcoholic beverage manufacturers, including makers of select Old Monk, Royal Challenge, Antiquity Blue, McDowell’s No.1 Rum, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky, and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum variants, over alleged violations of food safety regulations.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the action concerns the use of flavouring substances that mimic the characteristic aroma and taste of standardised alcoholic beverages, along with misleading age-related claims on product labels.
Why FSSAI Took Action
FSSAI said the characteristic aroma and taste of rum and whisky should develop naturally through recognised manufacturing processes, including the use of appropriate base ingredients, fermentation, distillation, maturation, and ageing.
However, inspections and laboratory testing found that some manufacturers used neutral or extra neutral alcohol, which lacks a distinct flavour profile, and added artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances to recreate the expected taste and aroma of rum or whisky.
The regulator said such practices bypass recognised manufacturing processes and have no internationally accepted manufacturing basis. Laboratory analysis classified several samples as substandard, stating that the added flavourings masked the beverages’ natural characteristics.
Regulator Raises Labelling Concerns
FSSAI said products made using such flavourings should be marketed as “rum-flavoured spirit” or “whisky-flavoured spirit”, with front-of-pack labels clearly disclosing the true nature of the product in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020.
The regulator also questioned the “7 Years Old Blended” claim on a variant of Old Monk XXX Rum. According to FSSAI, neutral (unaged) spirit formed the major component of the product, while matured rum accounted for less than 5% of the blend.
FSSAI said the claim violated the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, which require age statements to reflect the youngest spirit used in a blend.
Existing Stock Can Be Sold With Revised Labels
Rather than imposing a blanket prohibition, FSSAI has allowed manufacturers to sell existing stock after updating the front-of-pack labels to accurately describe the products. For future production, the regulator has directed manufacturers not to add rum or whisky flavouring substances to products marketed as rum or whisky.
Industry Responds
According to Reuters, United Spirits, Diageo India’s subsidiary, described the issue as an industry-wide concern and said the product labels comply with the applicable laws and regulations. The company has challenged FSSAI’s order relating to one of its rum products in court and is reportedly evaluating legal options regarding the directives issued for its whisky products.
The enforcement action highlights FSSAI’s growing focus on ensuring that alcoholic beverages comply with prescribed manufacturing standards and labelling requirements, while preventing practices that could mislead consumers about a product’s composition or quality.
