(MENAFN- Live Mint)

India's apex food safety regulator is preparing a major overhaul of alcohol standards-tightening quality norms, mandating clearer labels and stepping up consumer awareness-to promote responsible drinking, according to two officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) plans stricter rules for brewers, distillers and wineries, including precise declarations of alcohol content and compulsory“standard" drink labelling, in a push to bring greater transparency to one of the world's fastest-growing alcohol markets.

The FSSAI plans to seek comments from the relevant stakeholders for the next 60 days to implement and execute the plan, the officials said.

Also Read | Baby food: India plans a low-sugar diet for infa

The reforms mark a significant shift in how India regulates its fast-growing alcohol market. By clarifying product categories, tightening quality benchmarks and mandating transparent labelling, FSSAI hopes to improve consumer understanding and strengthen public-health safeguards. With industry set to review the draft, the changes could bring Indian standards closer to global norms and address long-standing compliance ambiguities for manufacturers.

India, a prominent player in the global alcoholic beverages industry, was a nearly $50 billion market in 2023, and the fifth largest contributor to the global market revenues with a potential size of $64 billion in five years, as per International Spirits and Wine Association of India (ISWAI) in a 2024 report.

“This measure is seen as very important for public health. A 'standard drink' represents a fixed and measured amount of pure alcohol, and its clear display on the container will allow individuals to know exactly the amount of pure alcohol they are consuming," said a person familiar with the development. "This clarity is essential for promoting safe and responsible choices, helping consumers manage their intake and supporting efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm."

Tightening quality control

Beyond label transparency, the FSSAI is also tightening quality control for specific categories. For high-quality sparkling wine labelled as 'Brut', which signifies a very dry wine with a low sugar content, it is allowing a small, safety margin of 0.3%' to the existing maximum sugar limit of 1.2%. Furthermore, the rules for wine-based beverages are being simplified for easier compliance.

Also Read | Regulator cracks down on 100% claims on food lab

“FSSAI has specified the tolerance for Brut under sparkling wine to be in alignment with the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) guidelines," said the second person in the know. "Additionally, the definition of a wine-based beverage has been amended by deleting 'or special wine' since there is no standard for special wine under Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR). Lastly, a new requirement has been established, making the standard drink declaration mandatory on the product label."

“This is being done to establish a precise and non-negotiable compliance ensuring that the quality and characteristics associated with 'Brut' remain consistent for consumers," the person added.

“The draft notification introduces welcome, science-based refinements to India's alcoholic beverage standards. Allowing a 0.3% tolerance around the 1.2% sugar limit for 'Brut' sparkling wine provides practical flexibility grounded in production realities. Removing the term 'special wine' improves regulatory clarity, while making 'standard drink' labelling mandatory strengthens consumer awareness and supports more responsible alcohol consumption," said Subhaprada Nishtala, director at the Chamber of Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses.

Also Read | June turns quieter as animal spirits f

Queries sent to International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI), FSSAI spokesperson, John Distilleries Pvt Ltd last week and the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies on Sunday remained unanswered.

Health experts said consumption of alcohol, even in small quantities, is harmful.

“Alcohol in any quantity is harmful to health, so there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption. Although generally, up to 30 ml of whisky for women and 60 ml for men is considered relatively better, we really cannot call even that completely safe," said Dr Ambrish Mittal, endocrinologist and the chairman and head of endocrinology and diabetes at Max Healthcare at Saket, New Delhi.“This is a very welcome step by FSSAI and will make people aware of what they are consuming and the amount of alcohol in a standard drink. Even the regular drinker often doesn't know the quantity of alcohol in their drink."

Speaking on the deterrant factor, he said: "For example, the labelling on cigarettes has helped decline smoking habits; similarly, this sort of labelling will also help people to restrict their intake or make them aware of the quantity of alcohol they are consuming."

MENAFN16112025007365015876ID1110351890