Indian food safety inspectors have seized around 18,000 boxes of liquor bottles made by Diageo, the world’s largest spirits group, over alleged concerns that the bottles did not carry markings showing they were made using safe recycled plastic, government sources said.
The latest regulatory action comes shortly after India’s food safety regulator ordered a crackdown on several popular whisky and rum brands, including Old Monk, Royal Challenge, Antiquity Blue, Bagpiper and McDowell’s No. 1 Rum.
Why Were Diageo Bottles Seized?
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials visited United Spirits’ factory in Bengaluru last week. During the inspection, officials were told that the Diageo India unit was using recycled plastic bottles.
However, inspectors found that the bottles did not carry the required markings, according to a government memo.
“This raised serious food safety, misleading and misbranding compliance concerns regarding the safety of finished alcoholic beverages for consumers,” the memo said. The seizure was carried out in the interests of public health.
The FSSAI did not respond to queries about the seizure of thousands of Diageo bottles. The action is being reported for the first time by Reuters.
What Did Diageo Say?
Diageo India confirmed the regulatory action and said some of its bottles “have been quarantined by authorities until further direction”.
The company said the bottles had been sourced from a recycler approved by the FSSAI and that mandatory tests had been conducted by suppliers.
“Our products are completely safe for consumption,” Diageo India unit United Spirits said in a statement, adding that it was engaging with the FSSAI for further direction.
Smirnoff, Whisky Bottles Among Those Checked
During the inspection, officials found that Diageo’s bottles carried markings showing that they were made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
However, the bottles should have carried a government-mandated recycled PET symbol, which also indicates that the material is food-grade, according to a second government memo.
Most large bottles of Diageo drinks are made from glass. The latest action focused on smaller plastic bottles, typically those used to sell 180 ml quantities.
Products worth around $1.6 million, along with plastic material, were seized during the inspection in Bengaluru. The action affected more than half a dozen brands.
These included DSP Black Deluxe Whisky, Smirnoff Zesty Lime Triple Distilled Flavoured Vodka and VAT 69 blended scotch whisky, according to the memos.
FSSAI Crackdown On Liquor Brands
The action against Diageo comes as the food safety regulator takes a tougher approach towards liquor companies, energy drink makers including PepsiCo and food manufacturers over labelling and compliance issues.
Last week, the FSSAI ordered a crackdown on several popular whisky and rum brands, including Old Monk, Royal Challenge, Antiquity Blue, Bagpiper and McDowell’s No. 1 Rum, over alleged use of flavouring additives and misleading labelling practices.
The regulator barred the sale of select variants after inspections found that some products contained artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances.
According to the FSSAI, these substances were being used to replicate the natural taste and aroma of whisky and rum.
What Triggered The Earlier Action?
Laboratory tests and inspections at multiple manufacturing units found that certain products were not relying solely on traditional distillation and ageing processes to develop their flavour, according to the FSSAI.
Instead, some manufacturers were allegedly using neutral alcohol and adding flavouring agents to recreate the expected taste of whisky or rum.
The products under scrutiny included United Spirits’ Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky from its Madhya Pradesh unit, McDowell’s No. 1 Rum from the Baramati plant, Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum manufactured by Inbrew Beverages in Madhya Pradesh, and three Old Monk variants produced by Mohan Rocky Springwater at its Khopoli facility in Maharashtra.
(With Reuters Inputs)