Now Reading: Bombay HC to decide on FSSAI rum sales ban on Monday
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Bombay HC to decide on FSSAI rum sales ban on Monday
The Bombay high court will hear on Monday pleas from United Spirits and Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries against the FSSAI's ban on several rum and whisky variants, including Old Monk and McDowell's…
The Story in Brief
The Bombay high court will hear on Monday pleas from United Spirits and Mohan Rocky Springwater Breweries against the FSSAI's ban on several rum and whisky variants, including Old Monk and McDowell's No.1 Rum. The regulator prohibited sales after its lab tests found artificial flavouring substances that masked the products' natural characteristics, violating the 2018 Alcoholic Beverages Regulations.
United Spirits argued that adding rum flavouring to rum has been an industry practice for decades and that the regulator cannot suddenly stop sales without finding any health risk. The FSSAI has offered to withdraw the ban if manufacturers relabel products as 'rum-flavoured spirit' instead of 'rum', but United Spirits says label changes need excise department approval, a lengthy process. The court has clubbed the matter with a separate petition by Old Monk's maker.
The Indian Opinion
The FSSAI is right to enforce honest labelling, but a sudden ban on decades-old products without a health risk finding feels harsh. The lazy narrative here pits a heavy-handed regulator against inventive industry. The real question is practical: what is the actual difference between 'rum' and 'rum-flavoured spirit' to a consumer? The court's decision will hinge on whether the rule is about consumer deception or compositional purity. Watch for how the regulator defines 'natural characteristic' and whether it offers a reasonable transition period for relabelling, not just an immediate ban.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
