The FSSAI, or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has barred the sale of selected liquor variants. These include variants of brands such as Royal Challenge, Antiquity Blue, Bagpiper, and Old Monk. Amidst all the chaos, many are wondering – which Old Monk variants are still available in India and which ones have been barred until further notice.
In this article, we’ll take a look at which Old Monk variants are still available in India after FSSAI ban and which ones will likely not be sold until further notice.
Many of you must be wondering, “Why is Old Monk out of stock?”
Well, there is no scarcity in the supply of Old Monk, the sale of this iconic rum has been barred by FSSAI.
The FSSAI said its tests found that some products manufactured by Diageo India’s United Spirits, Inbrew Beverages, and Mohan Rocky Springwater used artificial or nature-identical flavors to achieve the taste and aroma of alcoholic beverages instead of relying on natural ingredients and proper maturation processes. Some lab tests found that manufacturers were adding flavors of the alcoholic beverage itself – for example, rum flavoring in rum.
The FSSAI pointed out that such practices could allow manufacturers to bypass the maturation process, ultimately misleading the consumers. The FSSAI took regulatory action against many brands, including Old Monk.
After the FSSAI crackdown, there were discussions about whether Old Monk XXX Rum is fake.
The Old Monk XXX Rum variant claimed to be “7 years-old blended”. This claim was found to be misleading. The major ingredient of the rum is neutral (unmatured / unaged) spirit, while the matured rum spirit forms a miniscule ingredient of the spirit. In fact, matured rum spirit was found to be less than 5%, which does not fit regulatory standards.
So, the claim to be “7 years-old blended” is misleading and a clear violation of existing regulations. This is because the age claim of the spirit should be from the youngest of spirit in the blend as per FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018.
No, Old Monk is not entirely banned in India. The FSSAI conducted regulatory action against one of the manufacturing plants of Old Monk in Maharashtra, namely Mohan Rocky Springwater in Khopoli.
As part of the regulatory action, three variants of Old Monk Rum are barred from sale in India. These are as follows:
Other variants of Old Monk are still available for purchase in India.
The FSSAI barred the sale of the above-mentioned Old Monk variants, however, other variants are still available for purchase in India.
Old Monk variants still available in India for purchase in India include:
While these variants are available in select markets, you can purchase them as they have not met any regulatory action by the FSSAI.
Read in detail about why FSSAI banned Old Monk, Bagpiper, Royal Challenge, and other brands.
The FSSAI is taking strict action against brands, manufacturers, and distilleries not following regulatory guidelines. Now, it has seized about 18,000 boxes of Diageo liquor bottles for allegedly lacking markings showing that they have been made using safe recycled plastic.
Many Diageo brands like DSP Black Deluxe Whisky, Smirnoff Zesty Lime, and VAT 69 have been met with regulatory action during this FSSAI investigation.
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.
Read the entire story in our article about why FSSAI seized 18,000 boxes of Diageo bottles.
Old Monk, among other brands, has been met with regulatory action by the FSSAI over alleged use of artificial flavoring and misleading information about the maturation process. While the FSSAI has cracked down the sale of three Old Monk variants across India, other variants like Old Monk White Rum and Old Monk Coffee are still available in India. Also if you're planning to
