TN orders quality check on alcohol content across all distilleries following Enrica controversy
The Tamil Nadu government has ordered strict quality testing across all distilleries in the state to ensure alcohol content meets prescribed standards, following public concern over the temporary ban and subsequent quick clearance of products from a private liquor manufacturer.
The directive comes in the wake of a controversy involving the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the state's monopoly liquor retailer, which procures beer from seven companies and spirits from 11 manufacturers. Acting on directions from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), TASMAC had banned the sale of 11 liquor variants produced by Enrica Enterprises on August 13. However, the Prohibition and Excise department recommended lifting the ban just a day later, advising TASMAC to resume sales — a swift reversal that drew suspicion from liquor consumers and TASMAC employees alike, who have since demanded stricter quality assurance across the board.
Explaining the existing testing procedure, a senior TASMAC official said on Sunday that samples collected from distilleries are sent to the central government laboratory in Guindy, Chennai, once liquor is manufactured. "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, adding that TASMAC officials also randomly pick bottles from retail outlets for additional lab testing to ensure consistency.
Following the Enrica episode, the official said, instructions have now been issued to conduct comprehensive quality checks across all distilleries to confirm that alcohol levels strictly conform to permitted limits. The official noted that TASMAC has, since November 2003, relied almost entirely on standard chemical analysis conducted at the Guindy laboratory — a test that primarily checks whether liquor samples meet the standard 42.8 per cent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) threshold for certification. Wines are required to fall between 12 and 15 per cent ABV, while beers must range between five and eight per cent ABV, the official said.
The official acknowledged that health experts and consumer groups have flagged this approach as inadequate, arguing that relying solely on ABV percentage testing does not meet modern food safety standards.
TASMAC sources said the corporation currently stocks around 250 local and other state liquor brands, comprising more than 180 local liquor brands, 43 local beer brands, three local wine brands, six liquor brands from other states, five beer brands from other states, and eight wine brands from other states.
(With inputs from PTI)
