The FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, India’s statutory body under the administration of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has seized about 18,000 boxes of Diageo liquor bottles. FSSAI has seized the bottles for allegedly lacking markings showing that they have been made using safe recycled plastic. Diageo brands - DSP Black Deluxe Whisky, Smirnoff Zesty Lime, and VAT 69 have gone under the radar during this FSSAI investigation.
Diageo India confirmed the regulatory action. It officially stated that some of its bottles “have been quarantined by authorities until further direction”.
Furthermore, Diageo India has stated that the bottles were sourced from a recycler approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India; mandatory tests were also conducted by the suppliers.
FSSAI officials visited United Spirits’ factory in Bengaluru last week, where they were told that the Diageo India unit used recycled plastic bottles. However, as per a government memo, required markings were missing.
This raised “serious food safety, misleading and misbranding compliance concerns regarding the safety of finished alcoholic beverages for consumers,” the memo said. The document also added that the seizure was in the interests of public health.
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FSSAI is taking strict actions against any kind of violation in terms of labelling and compliance by liquor firms, energy drink makers, including PepsiCo, and food manufacturers.
During their checks, inspectors found Diageo's bottles only had markings showing they were made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but should have carried a government-mandated recycled PET symbol that also indicates they are food-grade, a second government memo said.
Most large bottles of Diageo alcoholic drinks are made of glass. But the regulatory action focused on plastic bottles used to retail the product in smaller quantities, usually 180 ml.
The FSSAI seized products worth $1.6 million approximately, along with plastic material during the inspection. The regulatory action impacted more than half a dozen brands, including the likes of DSP Black Deluxe Whisky, Smirnoff Zesty Lime Triple Distilled Flavored Vodka and VAT 69 blended scotch whisky.
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Diageo, which claims that India is their “consumer market of the decade” said that it complies with the law. With a recorded revenue of $3 billion in India, it is one of the strongest foreign players in the Indian market alongside France’s Pernod Ricard.
The FSSAI move to seize 18,000 Diageo bottles comes just a few days after it barred Diageo’s top brands, Old Monk, Royal Challenge, and more, alleging use of artificial flavoring and misleading declarations about the aging of the liquor.
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The FSSAI is cracking down on regulatory violations and Diageo has come under the radar for allegedly not using a government-mandated PET symbol on its bottles. This led to the FSSAI seizing about 18,000 bottles, including those of popular brands like DSP Black Deluxe Whisky, Smirnoff Zesty Lime Flavored Vodka, and VAT 69. The move comes days after the FSSAI barred some of Diageo’s top brands over alleged use of artificial flavoring and misleading declarations about the aging of the liquor.
