Law & Justice

Bombay High Court Refuses Interim Relief to Old Monk Maker Amid FSSAI Labelling Dispute

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Old Monk, one of India's most popular rum brands, is at the centre of a legal battle after the Bombay High Court declined to grant immediate relief to its manufacturer against a state-wide sales ban, while also scrutinising the product's bottle labels. India's food safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has told the court that Old Monk cannot be legally sold as 'rum' in its present form, stating that the product is largely made from neutral spirits combined with artificial rum flavouring and should instead be labelled a 'rum-flavoured spirit'. The Additional Solicitor General argued that under existing rules, rum must derive its taste and aroma naturally from sugarcane fermentation, and that marketing a product as rum when actual rum spirit makes up only 2 to 5 per cent of the content, with neutral spirits forming the bulk, misleads consumers. The manufacturer, Mohan Rocky Springwater Pvt Ltd, has rejected these claims, asserting that its product is made from neutral, rectified, distilled spirit of agricultural origin and meets the regulatory definition of rum. The company's counsel argued that FSSAI rules allow the use of neutral spirits with approved flavouring agents, that all ingredients are listed on the packaging, and that Old Monk was being unfairly singled out while rival brands follow similar manufacturing processes. During the hearing, the Acting Chief Justice personally examined the bottle label and said he could not find the flavouring disclosure even with a magnifying glass, adding that ordinary citizens could not reasonably be expected to understand such technical details. The court also raised concerns about phrases such as '7 years old blended' and 'very old vatted' on the label, noting that such wording might mislead consumers into believing the entire spirit had been aged for seven years. Following this, the manufacturer agreed to revise the bottle labels and has submitted updated packaging to the court for review. Both FSSAI and the State Excise Department are now examining the revised labels to determine compliance with regulatory norms. The prohibition on select Old Monk variants stems from a broader regulatory crackdown on alcoholic beverages involving artificial or nature-identical flavouring substances and labelling practices. The Bombay High Court refused to grant an interim stay on the ban, noting that doing so would effectively pre-empt the final outcome of the case before full arguments were heard. As a result, Old Monk remains off store shelves in Maharashtra for now. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on 11 September 2026, when the court will review FSSAI's assessment of the revised labels.