The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clarified that the issue concerning alcoholic beverages is not a blanket prohibition on natural or nature-identical flavours, but the use of flavours identical to the standardised alcoholic beverage itself, such as rum flavour in rum or whisky flavour in whisky. FSSAI has initiated enforcement action against certain manufacturers for product misrepresentation, non-compliance, and misleading labelling.
FSSAI has clarified its regulatory position regarding the use of identical flavours in alcoholic beverages following enforcement action against certain manufacturers. The Authority stated that natural and nature-identical flavouring substances such as coffee or vanilla may be used where otherwise permitted and supported by a legitimate technological justification.
However, adding the characteristic flavour of a standardised alcoholic beverage itself, such as rum flavour to rum or whisky flavour to whisky, is the specific practice under scrutiny.
Key points include:
- Products using external identical flavours to recreate the characteristic profile of standardised alcoholic beverages may be considered sub-standard and misleading if sold under the standard product name.
- Regulation 5.1 of the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 requires the name on the front of the pack to indicate the true nature of the food.
- FSSAI cited the requirement for rum to possess its characteristic taste and aroma under the FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018.
- Certain manufacturers have received prohibition-of-sale orders, inspections, or notices following non-conforming laboratory findings.
- Conditional relaxation was granted to some manufacturers for existing stock subject to disclosure of the true nature of the product on the front of pack.
- FSSAI also highlighted misleading age claims, including claims based on the age of a blend.