FSSAI names United Spirits, INBREW in alco-bev additives crackdown
FSSAI has issued notices to United Spirits, INBREW Beverages and other liquor makers over alleged prohibited additives, flavour blending and misleading age claims. The action covers products including McDowell’s No.1 Rum, Antiquity Blue and Royal Challenge, with further Maharashtra action expected.
What happened
FSSAI named United Spirits, INBREW Beverages and other liquor producers in enforcement action over alleged prohibited additives, flavour blending and misleading
Key facts
- 10 July
- Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018
- six other manufacturers in Maharashtra
Why this matters
Treat regulatory compliance, product-claim substantiation and state-market exposure as priority diligence items in alco-bev deals, with potential valuation discounts for portfolios reliant on challenged practices.
What to watch
- Publication of notice details, alleged additive names, batch identifiers and specific provisions cited by FSSAI.
- Maharashtra excise action, including product seizures, stop-sale directions, licence actions or label-registration suspensions.
- Whether FSSAI characterises the issue as labelling non-compliance versus prohibited ingredients or consumer-safety risk.
- Company disclosures on product withdrawals, reformulation, provisions, inventory write-downs or sales impact.
- Extension of notices to additional liquor manufacturers, categories or brands.
- Any formal FSSAI guidance on age statements, blending terminology, flavour use and category definitions.
- Distributor de-stocking, retailer delistings or abnormal discounting in affected states.
- Consumer and media framing of the case as adulteration or safety-related rather than technical regulatory non-compliance.
- Conduct SKU-by-SKU legal and technical audits of additives, flavour blends, batch records, age claims and label approvals across all states.
- Build contingency plans for withdrawal, relabelling, reformulation and rapid replacement of exposed packs, prioritising McDowell’s No.1 Rum, Antiquity Blue and Royal Challenge.
- Engage FSSAI, state excise authorities and industry bodies on interpretation of standards, corrective-action timelines and transition provisions.
- Ring-fence distributor and retailer communications to prevent unverified product-safety narratives from escalating into consumer panic.
- Review marketing copy and premiumisation claims across the portfolio; shift near-term trade support toward compliant substitute SKUs if availability is interrupted.
- Increase supplier due diligence and laboratory testing for flavours, colours and other inputs, with tighter certificates-of-analysis and traceability requirements.