Rum flavor in rum? FSSAI cracks down on fake aging and added flavors in popular liquor brands

Food safety regulators have turned up the heat on major alcoholic beverage manufacturers, launching targeted enforcement actions against misleading flavoring and deceptive labeling practices.

Clarifying its stance, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stated that the crackdown is not a blanket ban on flavorings, but an effort to stop companies from adding artificial flavorings — such as "rum flavor" in rum or "whisky flavor" in whisky — to neutral spirits while selling them as standard products.

The regulator emphasised that the characteristic taste and aroma of traditional spirits like rum and whisky must develop naturally through base ingredients like molasses or malt via fermentation, distillation, and maturation.

However, investigations revealed that several manufacturers were producing beverages using neutral or extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) — which lacks inherent flavour — and spiking them with external flavorings to fake the expected sensory profile.

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Non-conforming products & Facilities

Following non-conforming laboratory reports, FSSAI prohibited the sale of products manufactured at specific facilities, including:

• Mohan Rocky Springwater, Khopoli (Maharashtra): Old Monk The Legend, Gold Reserve, and XXX Matured Rum 
• United Spirits, Baramati (Maharashtra): McDowell's No. 1 Rum 
• United Spirits, Madhya Pradesh: Antiquity Blue Whisky and Royal Challenge Whisky 
• INBREW Beverages, Madhya Pradesh: Bagpiper Deluxe Whisky and Old Cask Deluxe XXX Rum 
• Associated Alcohol & Breweries, Madhya Pradesh: Central Province Whisky and McDowell's No. 1 Celebration Matured XXX Rum 

FSSAI also conducted inspections and product sampling at Mandexi Distilleries & Breweries in Goa and issued notices to six other manufacturers in Maharashtra, with further action expected.

Lab results reveal violations

Laboratory tests concluded that multiple sampled products contained external artificial or nature-identical flavors that masked their natural traits. Under the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, standard rum and whisky must possess their naturally derived taste and aroma.

The regulator noted that beverages crafted with added rum or whisky flavor cannot legally be marketed as standard rum or whisky. To comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, such products must prominently display their true nature on the front of the pack — specifically as "Rum-flavoured Spirit" or "Whisky-flavoured Spirit."

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Age claims under scanner 

Beyond flavor violations, Old Monk's aging claims have come under severe scrutiny. FSSAI questioned the "7 Years Old Blended" label on an Old Monk XXX Rum variant after finding that the product consisted largely of neutral, unmatured spirit, with matured rum making up less than 5% of the blend. Regulations mandate that the age claim on a blended spirit must reflect the youngest spirit used in the mix, rendering the product's label potentially misleading.

Not an industry-wide ban 

FSSAI underscored that this enforcement does not represent the entire alcoholic beverage industry, acknowledging that many manufacturers continue to produce compliant products. It added that there is no internationally recognized manufacturing standard that permits adding rum flavor to rum or whisky flavor to whisky to achieve their defining sensory characteristics.