Now Reading: MP HC stays FSSAI stop-sale order on Associated Alcohols
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MP HC stays FSSAI stop-sale order on Associated Alcohols
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) order that banned the sale of pre-packed whisky and rum from Associated Alcohols and Breweries (AABL).…
The Story in Brief
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) order that banned the sale of pre-packed whisky and rum from Associated Alcohols and Breweries (AABL). The Indore bench, in an order reviewed by the Times of India, noted that the regulator did not consider AABL's detailed response to a show-cause notice before issuing the prohibition on July 29.
The show-cause notice was sent on July 20 and AABL replied on July 27, but FSSAI passed the order two days later without addressing the company's objections, the court observed. A preliminary lab report had said the product labels mentioning 'added nature identical and artificial flavouring substances' violated standards, NDTV Profit reported. The court has given the Union government four weeks to file its response.
The Indian Opinion
The court is correct to call out a procedural lapse, but this does not settle the larger question of whether added flavours in whisky and rum comply with FSSAI rules. Both sides have legitimate points: regulators want the drink's taste to come from its defined ingredients, while distillers say long-standing industry practice and existing labelling laws allow artificial flavours. The next hearing in four weeks will test whether FSSAI can justify its order on substance, not just procedure.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, ndtvprofit.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
