Now Reading: Diageo to reformulate whisky and rum brands after FSSAI action
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Diageo to reformulate whisky and rum brands after FSSAI action
United Spirits, the Indian arm of Diageo, has agreed to reformulate some of its whisky and rum brands after regulatory action by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), NDTV Profit reports. ThePrint adds that the controversy revolves around the widespread use of molasses in Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL). Trade estimates suggest more than 90% of what is sold as whisky in India would not qualify as whisky in the US or Europe because it uses molasses instead of grain.
ThePrint quotes Rakshay Dhariwal, founder of agave spirit brand Pistola, saying that if molasses is used in a blended whisky, it is rum and cannot be called whisky. Michael D'Souza, master distiller at Paul John, says molasses was historically the best option due to technological limitations. Some consumers label the FSSAI's actions as long overdue for transparency, while others circulate conspiracy theories about sugar-lobby politics.
Indian Opinion Analysis
NDTV Profit's brief report is straight factual wire copy focused on the corporate action. ThePrint provides deep context on the molasses-based history of Indian liquor and includes industry experts critical of the practice, framing the FSSAI move as overdue transparency. It also notes conspiracy theories about sugar-lobby politics, which NDTV Profit omits entirely. A careful reader should take away that the core issue is a long-standing gap between Indian mass-market practice and international whisky standards, not a new scandal. Watch for which specific brands are reformulated and whether FSSAI expands its scrutiny.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): ndtvprofit.com (neutral report), theprint.in (government critical)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
