FSSAI bars select Diageo, Inbrew and Old Monk liquor SKUs over flavouring

Food-safety regulator FSSAI has barred sales of select spirits made at specified Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra facilities, citing the use of artificial or nature-identical flavouring. Affected labels include Antiquity Blue, Royal Challenge, Bagpiper and Old Cask.

— Source publishedMon, 3 Aug, 2026, 12:25 IST·First seen Mon, 3 Aug, 2026, 12:29 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

United Spirits (Diageo India) · FSSAI barred sales of select Diageo India, Inbrew and Old Monk spirits made at specified Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra

Key facts

  • India's alcohol market has estimated annual revenue of $40 billion
  • FSSAI banned three Old Monk variants

Why this matters

Any partnership or acquisition involving the affected producers should intensify diligence on formulation controls, plant-level compliance history and the cost of regulatory remediation.