Pune: For the first time on this New Year’s Eve, liquor will be added to the list of consumable products that will get tested for quality according to guidelines that will be laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the supreme food safety regulatory body, is all set to initiate the quality checks starting December 30 and is currently finalising the rules and guidelines before setting quality standards for liquor in the country.
“We are awaiting the guidelines for testing liquor that FSSAI is drafting. They have invited suggestions from the general public seeking opinions and suggestions before implementation by this month-end,” a senior State official from the FDA, on condition of anonymity, told Sakal Times.
Until now, the State Excise Department was in charge of keeping track of the sale and storage of liquor. Also, the department is the statutory body of the government to provide licences to sell liquor.
However, there was no regulatory body to check the quality of alcohol that was being sold in the market.
This move by FSSAI is also of greater significance as several fatal and critical cases have been reported from all over the country after people reportedly consumed spurious and illicit liquor.
“Now onwards, along with the Excise Department, the state-level Food and Drugs Authorities will be responsible for keeping a check of the quality of liquor, particularly the country-made ones. The many parameters will be the colour of the alcohol, the percentage of alcohol, among the many others,” the official said.
The guidelines to check the quality of liquor will be ready in the third week of this month, added the official.
Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the supreme food safety regulatory body, is all set to initiate the quality checks starting December 30 and is currently finalising the rules and guidelines before setting quality standards for liquor in the country.
“We are awaiting the guidelines for testing liquor that FSSAI is drafting. They have invited suggestions from the general public seeking opinions and suggestions before implementation by this month-end,” a senior State official from the FDA, on condition of anonymity, told Sakal Times.
Until now, the State Excise Department was in charge of keeping track of the sale and storage of liquor. Also, the department is the statutory body of the government to provide licences to sell liquor.
However, there was no regulatory body to check the quality of alcohol that was being sold in the market.
This move by FSSAI is also of greater significance as several fatal and critical cases have been reported from all over the country after people reportedly consumed spurious and illicit liquor.
“Now onwards, along with the Excise Department, the state-level Food and Drugs Authorities will be responsible for keeping a check of the quality of liquor, particularly the country-made ones. The many parameters will be the colour of the alcohol, the percentage of alcohol, among the many others,” the official said.
The guidelines to check the quality of liquor will be ready in the third week of this month, added the official.
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