India may introduce alcohol manufacturing laws

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has revealed plans to set up manufacturing “standards” for alcoholic beverages.

Indian officials have proposed implementing legal standards for alcohol manufacturing

The food safety regulating body is preparing to come up with a “draft notification” on the legal standards of alcoholic beverages such as whisky, vodka, gin, alcopops, and beer, which manufacturers will have to meet.

An FSSAI senior official said in a statement: “Standards for alcohol are also being considered after packaged food products like Maggi noodles and various milk samples were found to have contained hazardous materials. As there are additives and preservatives in alcoholic beverages like wine and beer, it becomes important to keep a check on them as well.

“FSSAI is in the process of preparing standards for alcoholic beverages and the best global practices in this regard are being referred to. The draft notification will be put out to seek comments from the public.”

In terms of packaging, the FSSAI has already proposed that alcoholic beverages may not be treated as unsafe food for recall just because they carry a mandatory warning stating that their consumption is “injurious to health”.

Instead, it must be determined unsafe as per the classification of recall.

Earlier this year, a new report revealed that alcohol consumption across the country has risen by 55% in the last 20 years.