Many brands selling sub-standard liquor in Punjab: FDA

Punjab's Commissioner of Food and Drug Administration K S Pannu Tuesday said many brands are selling sub-standard quality of liquor in the state.

"Many brands are selling sub-standard liquor in Punjab. It has been found that the quantity of alcohol in some brands is deficient by 2 per cent to 12 per cent," Pannu said in an official release.

He said the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration had conducted a study on the quality of liquor in both country made-and Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) brands being sold in Punjab.

"The study revealed that many brands were selling sub-standard liquor in the state with alcohol content not in consonance with the label details. In addition, many of the brands contained particles of suspended matter, which is not allowed," he said.

Punjab along with some other states, including Goa, has the highest consumption rate of liquor. The standard measurement for alcohol content in drinks is alcohol by volume (ABV). It is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage.

Warning contractors, manufacturers and bottlers of country-made liquor and IMFL, Pannu said all concerned parties should ensure the quality of liquor is per the claims made by the labels on the bottles and as per the standards fixed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

He said the state food laboratory at Kharar near Chandigarh is fully equipped to test the quality of all kinds of liquor.

He asked consumers, especially the ones purchasing liquor in bulk for various functions, to get the quality of alcohol tested from the state laboratory in Kharar or Punjab Biotechnology Incubator Laboratory at Phase-5 in Mohali.

Pannu said citizens have the right to quality products in food and drinks and as per the provisions of the law it is the duty of the Food Safety and Drug Administration to check the quality of all kinds of food, including liquor.