Diageo will change the formulation of some of its leading whisky and rum brands sold in India within three months after the country’s food safety regulator objected to the use of added flavouring substances.
The company said it had engaged with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over its updated guidelines and had taken measures to bring its products in line with the revised requirements. “We have engaged with the FSSAI to align on the new guidelines proposed by them and have since taken appropriate measures to align our products fully with the revised requirements,” a Diageo spokesperson said.
The development follows a regulatory crackdown earlier this month in which several whisky and rum brands made by Diageo and other companies were barred in some states over alleged labelling violations and the use of flavours that regulators said did not conform to prescribed standards.
Among the Diageo products affected were Antiquity Blue and Royal Challenge whisky manufactured in Madhya Pradesh, and McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Matured XXX Rum produced in Maharashtra. Royal Challenge is among Diageo’s largest-selling domestically produced whisky brands.
