Alcohol may be banned in Gujarat, but an entrepreneur found a unique way to slake the thirst of tipplers in the State, until his alcohol-laced “energy drink” was detected on Wednesday.
Gujarat’s Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) banned the sale of U-Star energy drink after over eight per cent alcohol content was found in it. The State Government has ordered sealing of the manufacturing plant situated in Kutch and arrest of the absconding plant owner.
Being a ‘Dry’ State, Gujarat does not allow mixing of any amount of alcohol in any product sold within the State’s boundary. However, RB Jhala, the manufacturer of U-Star found a novel way to diddle the authorities.
Significantly, beer contains four per cent to six per cent alcohol, and even in case of strong beer the alcohol percentage does not exceed nine per cent. However, Jhala’s drink contained eight per cent to ten per cent of the banned stuff. The energy drink, marketed across the State at Rs 100 per bottle, was generally found in betel shops, especially in Kutch and surrounding areas.
“We have already ordered the plant sealed and have asked police to file a complaint against the absconding owner,” Nitin Patel, Gujarat’s Health Minister said. “The State FDCA initiated a campaign against Jhala following a tip-off that a Gandhidham-based firm was selling a drink with considerable amount of alcohol under the guise of energy drink,” said Gujarat Food & Drug Commissioner HG Koshia while talking to The Pioneer.
According to him, FDCA officials raided several areas of Saurashtra and North Gujarat and seized several bottles of the drink. “While the smell of alcohol in the drink is quite apparent, we have sent the samples to the laboratory for further tests as primary investigation revealed that the drink contained alcohol,” he said.
Shockingly, during the investigation, it was found that the labels on U-Star bottles carried the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) registration number! This meant that the manufacturer had a clearance certificate from the central authority.
However, the State FDCA officials have doubts about the claim made by the manufacturer regarding the FSSAI clearance and said that there was a high possibly of it being fake.
FDCA officials also raided the manufacturing facility of U-Star at Gandhidham in Kutch. But on raiding the premises, they realised that the enterprising entrepreneur was one step ahead of them once again, as he had already shut the plant and gone underground.