RECENTLY, I chanced upon a document that is being proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as the proposed standard for the alcohol industry. Standards that would not only safeguard our health, but also assuredly bring about some standardisation in an industry which can be potentially lethal. So far, existing laws do little to govern the composition of the alcohol we drink and yet it’s ‘tax’ in every possible format. And what we get to drink is an expensive product with too little governance or control over its quality. The most important standards that have existed are the ones imposed by the big companies on their own products.

But as I combed through the draft—and was simultaneously inundated with calls from producers of fine spirits in India—I realised that the rules had not been framed in a manner to encourage the industry. They were restrictive—at times almost straight-jacketed—leaving no room for imaginative liquors and drinks to exist. They were often vague and, at other times, impossibly worded, so that no possible drink could ever make the cut. I won’t delve into details because (a) it’s a draft and I am sure the people who called me will also be appealing against it and (b) some points may be too minute and technical for the scope of this column. But here are a few points, which need to be addressed:

  • The definition of certain wine styles is extremely vague and leaves a lot of room for nefarious tinkering about
  • There is no provision for cane spirits, which are not rum
  • The tequila category doesn’t mention ‘other Agave spirits’ (Mezcal, for one), as also Indian versions of the Agave spirit
  • The list of ingredients for vodka is highly limiting
  • The levels of permissible methanol in distillates are so tiny that only patent still distillates will make the cut. All good spirits—which are made using the traditional pot still—would get eliminated. No, we won’t go blind if we change those. If you’ve been enjoying Scotch, cognac, tequila and other similar beverages so far and haven’t gone blind (or mad), those levels are acceptable. The new levels would jeopardise all these pot-still products, both imported and domestic

Liqueurs should not have an upper permissible sugar limit (10%), it makes no sense. There should instead be a fixed lower limit (2.5%), allowing brands to make a liqueur as sweet as they wish for ideal harmony and taste

Feni and mahua are country liquors for now and some leeway must be made to allow the bigger distillers to make truly international spirits out of them. Spirits that can be made to similar standards as Scotch and cognac. These traditional distillates stand a good chance of becoming India’s USP on the world scene. For now, they are nothing, but cheap intoxicants, which can’t even be sold outside their home states.

Just like our Olympics committee, which didn’t have one athlete on it—and we can see the debacle it led to—these bodies, too, need to rethink their composition. They need to first define what type of people are required to be their members before they set about tackling intricate and complex laws. They have many products to take care of. To sit and fine-comb through the laws for one alimentary product may seem tedious and this is why they need to suitably delegate. They should organise the industry to participate and contribute—not just the big players, but smaller ones too.

They should look at the laws of some other countries, which have been producing such products for long. Ask industry experts and stalwarts about which brands are fit to play a part on these committees.

Democracy shouldn’t just be about everyone having a voice, but about finding a sound strong consensus. I laud the FSSAI for all it’s trying to achieve and a majority of what it’s doing is spot-on, but certain knee-jerk notions may need to be weeded out before any law—that impedes the growth of this creative aspect of gastronomy—gets formalised.
India stands to make a considerable international impact with its unique products. The new laws should make sure they don’t get stifled.