FSSAI Notifies the Operationalization of Draft Food Safety Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Regulations, 2020

The Indian liquor market is the third largest in the world. 30% of the Indian population consumes alcohol regularly. To regularize this vast market FSSAI has framed the standards for Alcoholic Beverages and notified the same to ensure the safety of Alcoholic Beverages. The FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulation was notified on 19^th March 2018 and it came into enforcement from 1^st April 2019. This regulation specifies the standards for Alcoholic beverages namely Distilled Alcoholic Beverage (Brandy, Country Liquor, Gin, Rum, Vodka and Whisky, Liquor or Alcoholic cordial), Wines and, Beer.

The draft for the amended regulation is still in process of being notified and it may take up some time to get fully operationalize. Considering the need of the hour the FSSAI has given out the notification on 22nd of June, regularizing the standards for alcohol free beer and use of certain food colours in Distilled Spirituous Beverages with immediate effect. The standard says that the alcohol free beer should have 0% alcohol by volume (Abv) in it. The other parameters should comply with the limits specified for regular beer. The use of certain colours like tartrazine, carmoisene, brilliant blue FCF, sunset yellow FCF, ponceau 4R has also been permitted within the specified limits in Distilled Spirituous Beverages.