Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials last week carried out a two-day inspection at Pernod Ricard’s Bengaluru bottling plant, collecting liquor samples and requesting documents as regulators widen scrutiny of India’s roughly $40 billion alcoholic beverages industry. The visit, Reuters reported, cited four people familiar with the matter.
Inspectors gathered product samples for laboratory testing and asked Pernod Ricard to produce operational records, according to the report. A government official told Reuters the company was also advised to improve hygiene at the facility and to ensure bottle markings that indicate the use of recycled plastic were accurate. The FSSAI has not publicly released details of the inspection.
Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said FSSAI officials did not issue any adverse findings against Pernod Ricard following the visit. Pernod confirmed the facility had been visited by food-safety authorities and said it was cooperating with regulators. “Regulatory inspections are an established part of the industry’s compliance framework, and we are working constructively with the authorities,” Reuters quoted the company as saying. Pernod added that it maintains robust quality and safety standards.
One source said samples taken included Pernod’s Blenders Pride and Royal Stag whiskies. Pernod markets Blenders Pride as a top premium blended whisky in India and describes Royal Stag as a whisky made without artificial flavourings.
The inspection comes amid an intensified regulatory crackdown on the country’s alcohol sector. Earlier this month the FSSAI banned several whisky and rum brands made by Diageo and other producers, alleging improper addition of flavours-moves that prompted industry concern and reviews of product compliance. Reuters reported that Diageo has agreed to reformulate some brands to seek lifting of state-level bans.
Regulators have also scrutinised Diageo over labelling and alleged addition of whisky flavouring, and FSSAI officials reportedly seized about 18,000 boxes of Diageo bottles in a separate inspection over missing markings indicating the use of safe recycled plastic.
The Bengaluru inspection adds to a string of regulatory and legal challenges Pernod faces in India, including a $314 million demand from authorities over alleged undervaluation of Scotch imports, an antitrust case, and a separate ban in New Delhi tied to alleged breaches of the capital’s liquor policy. The company has denied wrongdoing in those matters. Sources said the visit was part of broader food-safety and compliance checks being carried out across the industry, reflecting growing emphasis by Indian authorities on product composition, labelling, packaging and manufacturing standards.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/fssai-inspects-pernod-plant-collects-blenders-pride-royal-stag-whisky-samples-in-bengaluru-report-14039362.html
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Publish Date: 2026-08-19 23:38:00
