FSSAI issued a draft notification on Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Regulations, 2023, related to standards of mead, craft beer, Indian liquors and the definition of low alcoholic beverages.
The food authority has issued a draft notification on Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Regulations, 2023, related to standards of mead (honey wine), craft beer, Indian liquors and the definition of low alcoholic beverages/ RTD, wine-based beverages and country liquors.
Under these regulations, the FSSAI has defined “Ready-to-drink/ Low alcoholic beverages”, which shall be low alcoholic, flavoured beverages having more than 0.5 to 8.0% of alcohol ABV.
The draft amends the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, which the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India proposes to make with the previous approval of the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) is hereby published as required by the said sub-section (1) of section 92 of the said Act, for the information of all persons likely to be affected thereby.
Notice is hereby given that the said draft regulations shall be considered after the expiry of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Official Gazette in which this notification is published are made available to the public.
Low alcoholic beverages
Under these regulations, the FSSAI has defined the “Ready-to–drink/ Low alcoholic beverages shall be low alcoholic, flavoured beverages having more than 0.5 to 8.0% of alcohol ABV, made from the spirit or the mixture of spirit or any alcoholic beverage other than wine and beer as a base by adding natural/nature identical/artificial flavours and/or food additives permitted under the FSS (FPS&FA) Regulations 2011; and/or fruit/vegetable juice with or without added sugar/salt and with or without carbonation. In the case of carbonated ready-to-drink (RTD) /low-alcoholic beverages, they shall be carbonated with carbon dioxide. However, the carbonated RTD /low alcoholic beverages shall have a minimum of one volume of carbon dioxide.”
“Alcoholic beverage containing more than 0.5 per cent abv but not more than 8.0 per cent abv may be called as Ready-to-drink/ low alcoholic beverage.”
Country Liquors
Country Liquors shall be substituted with the following namely, –
Country liquors/Indian Liquors: Country liquors/Indian Liquors or spirits are alcoholic beverages obtained from distillation of fermentable carbohydrates of agricultural origin.
Plain country liquors/Plain Indian liquors: Plain country liquors/Plain Indian liquors shall be made from
alcoholic distillate obtained from fermented molasses, jiggery (Gur), mash of cereals, potato, cassava, fruits, juice or sap of coconut and palm trees, mahua flowers or any other carbohydrates of agricultural origin.
Blended country liquors / Blended Indian liquors: Blended country liquors /Blended Indian liquors is a blend of an alcoholic distillate, rectified spirit or neutral spirit.
Wine Based Beverages
Honey wine/ Mead: Honey wine / Mead is a wine produced from the fermentation of an aqueous
solution of honey by yeasts without addition of any other carbohydrate source.
Wine from other agricultural and plant sources (WAPS): Wine from other agricultural and plant sources may be produced by the normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice or sap or whole grains or other agricultural and plant sources with or without the addition of sugar or jaggery.
Objections and suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi- 110002, or may be sent through email at regulation@fssai.gov.in.
Objections and suggestions, which may be received from any person with respect to the said draft regulations before the expiry of the period so specified above, shall be considered by the Food Authority.
For further details please download the draft notification from FSSAI website.
FAQs
What are Low alcoholic beverages?
Under these regulations, the FSSAI has defined “Ready-to-drink/ Low alcoholic beverages”, which shall be low alcoholic, flavoured beverages having more than 0.5 to 8.0% of alcohol ABV.
What is Country liquor or Indian Liquors?
Country liquors/Indian Liquors or spirits are alcoholic beverages obtained from distillation of fermentable carbohydrates of agricultural origin
What is Honey wine or Mead?
Honey wine / Mead is a wine produced from the fermentation of an aqueous
solution of honey by yeasts without addition of any other carbohydrate source.
Wine from other agricultural and plant sources (WAPS)
Wine from other agricultural and plant sources may be produced by the normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice or sap or whole grains or other agricultural and plant sources with or without the addition of sugar or jaggery.
