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FSSAI draft on alcoholic drinks cites separate regulations for each type
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Thursday, 29 September, 2016, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Pushkar Oak, Mumbai
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fiogf49gjkf0d fiogf49gjkf0d Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently released the draft standards for alcoholic beverages wherein it defines each type of beverage and cites separate regulations for them. The draft also touches upon the process through which a beverage can be obtained.
While defining an alcoholic beverage, the draft states, “Alcoholic beverage means a beverage or a liquor or brew containing more than 0.5 per cent ethyl alcohol (ethanol) by volume/ volume as the active agent.” It states that the ethyl alcohol used in the production of alcoholic beverages shall be of agricultural origin.
The draft mentions the two processes through which beverages can be obtained - distilled and undistilled, where distilled means a distilled beverage, spirit, or liquor containing ethanol that is made by distilling ethanol produced by fermentation of cereal grain, fruit, vegetables, molasses or any other source of carbohydrates. The undistilled means fermented undistilled alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, cider and toddy.
A N Panchal, food safety officer, food department, Rajkot Municipal Corporation, said, “FSSAI has done its job well. The scientific panels have to be credited for these standards as they are well drafted giving specifications of each type of the alcoholic beverage and further narrowing down to the sub-types of each of them. The FSSAI has given time to the stakeholders to give their views in this regard before October 9.”
“The labelling requirements specified in the draft have also asked to state standard drinks that the package or container could make and also specify allergens for some types of alcoholic beverages,” added Panchal.
The draft identifies and defines various kinds of alcohol such as brandy, cognac, whisky (bourbon, Irish whisky, single malt, blended malt, Scotch in detail) gin, vodka, fenny and arrack. The draft widening its scope has even laid down standards for various country spirits.
Further, with regard to labelling, the draft demands mention of the number of standard drinks, best before or use by date.
In case of imported alcoholic beverages, the information regarding the name and address of the importer shall be allowed to be affixed in the custom bonded warehouse in the form of an additional sticker in a manner that it does not overlap or cover the original information of the label in any manner while the FSSAI logo and licence number is also mandatory.
Highlights
- Rum when labelled as “matured” shall be blended with rum spirit matured for not less than six months in oak vats or barrels.
- Brandy when labelled as "matured" shall be matured for a period of not less than one year in oak vats or barrels. It shall possess the characteristic aroma and taste of brandy.
- In case of package containing more than 10 standard drinks, accurate to the nearest whole number of standard drink.
Example
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Measure
of package/ container
(alcohol by volume)
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Number
of standard
drinks
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For
a 750 ml. bottle of 12.5 per
cent.
Abv wine
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Contains
approximately 7.4 standard
drinks
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For
a 750
ml.
bottle of 36 per cent.
Abv
spirit
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Contains
approximately 22 standard
drinks
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For
a 375 ml. can of 4.9 per cent.
Abv
beer
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Contains
approximately 1.4 standard
drinks
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- The label of a package of a beverage containing more than 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume must not include the words ‘non-intoxicating’ or words implying similar meaning.
- An alcoholic beverage which contains more than 8.0 per cent alcohol by volume shall not represent as a “low alcohol beverage.”
- Alcoholic beverages which have less than 10 per cent. alcohol shall mention the date, month and year of expiry on the label, in that order and preceded by the words 'Expiry date' or 'Use by.' However, the manufacturer may use the expression 'Best before' as optional or additional information. Wines stand excluded from this regulation.
Panchal concluded saying that this move by FSSAI has expanded its regulatory ambit to another direction which will help bring in clarity.
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