11 hrs ago
FSSAI Challenges Old Monk’s Status as Rum in India
FSSAI says some Old Monk products should not be sold using the word “rum.”
The regulator says laboratory tests found neutral spirit and added flavouring in the products.
It argues that real rum must keep the characteristic taste and smell expected of rum.
The company says it can change its labels and has submitted new versions to the Bombay High Court.
The court was concerned that the words “7 years old blended” might make buyers think the drink was aged for seven years.
Many drinkers are surprised because they have always thought of Old Monk as rum.
Other alcohol brands have also faced similar objections about flavouring.
The court will consider the matter again on September 11.
FSSAI told the Bombay High Court that Old Monk cannot legally be sold as “rum.”
The regulator said some variants use neutral spirit and added rum flavouring, making them “rum-flavoured spirits.”
FSSAI cited 2018 regulations requiring standardised alcoholic beverages to retain their characteristic taste and aroma.
Old Monk’s maker submitted revised labels after concerns that “7 years old blended” wording could mislead consumers.
The company said it had lost ₹1 crore per day during a 120-day ban; the case will return to court on September 11.
- Who
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Old Monk’s maker Mohan Rocky Springwater, and the Bombay High Court are central to the dispute.
- What
- FSSAI is challenging the sale of certain Old Monk variants as “rum,” saying they should instead be described as “rum-flavoured spirits.”
- Where
- The dispute is being heard in the Bombay High Court in India.
- When
- The latest hearing mentioned in the article took place on Thursday, and the next hearing is scheduled for September 11.
- Why
- FSSAI says added flavouring and neutral spirit prevent the products from meeting regulatory requirements for standardised rum.
FSSAI’s Position
Company and Consumer Perspective
Whether the drink is legally rum
FSSAI’s Position
FSSAI says a standardised alcoholic beverage must retain rum’s characteristic taste and aroma. Because certain products contain neutral spirit and added rum flavouring, it says they cannot be sold as “rum.”
Company and Consumer Perspective
Old Monk has been widely understood and consumed as rum for generations, and the company is seeking to continue selling the products with revised labels.
Effect of added flavouring
FSSAI’s Position
The regulator says laboratory tests found external artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances that masked the beverages’ natural characteristics.
Company and Consumer Perspective
The article does not report the company disputing the laboratory findings, but the broader manufacturer position is reflected in efforts to remove disputed flavouring agents or modify labels.
Consumer information
FSSAI’s Position
FSSAI and the court want packaging to clearly distinguish the product and avoid potentially misleading claims, including wording suggesting seven years of aging.
Company and Consumer Perspective
The company has submitted revised labels and says the ban has caused major financial losses, including a reported ₹1 crore per day over 120 days.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Products affected
- Select Old Monk variants, along with specified variants of several other rum and whisky brands
- Regulatory basis
- Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018
- Proposed description
- “Rum-flavoured spirit”
- Label dispute
- The company agreed to remove “7 years old blended” from its labels and submitted revised packaging
- Reported loss
- ₹1 crore per day over 120 days of the ban, according to the company’s counsel
- Next hearing
- September 11
Quotes
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
India’s food safety regulator, which submitted the affidavit before the Bombay High Court
“By doing so, the Petitioner was trying to mislead the consumer and violated Regulation 1.3.7 of the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulation, 2018.”
timesnownews.com
“In case of flavored Rum, the term Flavoured or Premix Rum needs to be mentioned on the product label to avoid misleading information/deceptive claims.”
timesnownews.com
A friend of the author
A friend recalling his reaction to FSSAI’s classification of Old Monk
“Now I no longer know, when I drank actual rum”
livemint.com
“Sab jhooth tha?”
livemint.com
Sources
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