,"The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued significant updates regarding the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations. The updates include both an extension of the enforcement date for labelling provisions and the publication of draft amendments to the 2018 regulations for public consultation.
Earlier, under the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations, 2025, notified on 20th June 2025, FSSAI had specified labelling standards for alcoholic beverages, including mead (honey wine), craft beer, Indian liquors, wine-based beverages, and alcoholic ready-to-drink (RTD) products. The original date of enforcement for these labelling provisions was set as 1st January 2026.
However, stakeholders raised concerns regarding operational challenges arising from mid-year changes in labelling. Alcoholic beverages are also regulated under State Excise Laws, and label registration is mandatory, typically aligned with the start of the excise year — either 1st April or 1st July, depending on the State. Mid-year compliance requirements could disrupt business operations, result in wastage of pre-printed labels, and incur additional costs for reregistration.
Considering these factors and the earlier order dated 3rd January 2025, the Competent Authority has extended the date of enforcement for labelling provisions to 1st July 2026. This decision has been issued under the powers vested in FSSAI through Section 16(5) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, providing stakeholders adequate time to comply while minimizing operational challenges.
In addition, FSSAI has published a draft of further amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018, for public consultation, under clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, with prior approval of the Central Government. Key proposed changes include:
Sparkling Wine (Regulation 3.1.2.2, Part 3): For Brut sparkling wine, the tolerance for sugar content is proposed to be modified, allowing a 0.3% variation in addition to the stated limit of below 1.2% sugar content.
Wine-Based Beverages (Regulation 3.1.6, Part 3): The phrase “or special wine used” is proposed to be deleted, simplifying the definition and scope of wine-based beverages.
Labeling of Standard Drink (Regulation 5.2, Part 5): The word “may” is proposed to be replaced with “shall”, making the labelling of standard drink mandatory rather than optional.
The draft regulations are published for public comments for a period of sixty days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette. Stakeholders and members of the public may submit objections or suggestions to the Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI, FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi-110002, or via email at regulation@fssai.gov.in
. All submissions received within the specified period will be considered before finalizing the amendments.
These updates reflect FSSAI’s commitment to balancing regulatory compliance, industry feasibility, and public safety while ensuring clarity and uniformity in the standards for alcoholic beverages in India."
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