Why has FSSAI issued prohibition-of-sale orders against liquor makers? | Explained
The FSSAI has issued prohibition-of-sale orders against several liquor manufacturers in India for allegedly using artificial flavouring agents to mimic aged spirits. The regulator claims these additives mislead consumers and violate food safety standards regarding natural distillation and maturation processes.
Why it matters
This enforcement action highlights stricter regulatory oversight in the Indian food and beverage industry to ensure product authenticity and consumer protection.
The story so far: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) initiated enforcement action (prohibition-of-sale orders) on August 2, 2026 against several liquor makers, accusing them of two main violations.
One is allegedly adding flavour compounds that recreate a drink’s own natural taste instead of allowing those characteristics to develop through distillation and maturation, and another by allegedly making “aged” claims on labels that do not reflect the products’ actual age.
According to FSSAI, a rum or whisky’s taste and smell are supposed to come from the real production process, the base ingredient (molasses for rum, malt for whisky), fermentation, yeast, distillation and ageing. The regulator said some producers instead begin with neutral or extra-neutral alcohol, which has no distinctive flavour of its own, and then add flavouring agents later to make it taste like rum or whisky before selling it as a standard product.
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