The Tamil Nadu government led by chief minister Vijay has ordered strict quality checks across all distilleries in the state to ensure alcohol content in liquor sold through TASMAC complies with prescribed standards.
The move comes amid public concern over the temporary ban on 11 liquor variants produced by Enrica Enterprises and the decision to revoke it within a day, according to news agency PTI.
The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the state's monopoly liquor retailer, procures beer from seven companies and spirits from 11 manufacturers.
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Sale of 11 liquor variants banned and revoked
Following directives from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), TASMAC on August 13 banned the sale of 11 liquor variants produced by Enrica Enterprises.
{{/usCountry}}Following directives from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), TASMAC on August 13 banned the sale of 11 liquor variants produced by Enrica Enterprises.
{{/usCountry}}However, the Prohibition and Excise office recommended lifting the ban the very next day and advised TASMAC to resume sales.
The swift revocation of the ban raised concerns among liquor consumers and TASMAC employees, prompting demands for stricter quality assurance for all beverages sold through the network.
A senior TASMAC official on Sunday explained that once liquor is manufactured at distilleries, samples are collected and sent to the central government laboratory in Guindy, Chennai.
"Bottling and dispatch for sale only occur after Prohibition and Excise officials verify quality based on the test certificates issued by the central lab," the official said and pointed out, "in addition, TASMAC officials randomly pick bottles from retail outlets to send them for lab testing to ensure quality".
Quality checks across distilleries
Following the Enrica controversy, the official said, instructions have been issued to conduct comprehensive quality checks across all distilleries to ensure alcohol levels strictly adhere to permitted limits.
According to the official, TASMAC has relied almost exclusively on standard chemical analysis by the state laboratory in Guindy since November 2003.
The test primarily verifies whether liquor samples meet the standard 42.8 per cent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) threshold to certify products fit for public sale. Wines range from 12 per cent to 15 per cent ABV, while beers range from five per cent to eight per cent ABV, he added.
Health experts and consumer groups, however, argue that relying solely on percentage testing is inadequate for modern food safety standards.
TASMAC sources said around 250 local and other-state liquor brands are available through the corporation. These include over 180 local liquor brands, 43 local beer brands, three local wine brands, six other-state liquor brands, five other-state beer brands and eight other-state wine brands.
(with agency inputs)