Old Monk's familiar "7 years old blended" label is set to disappear. Mohan Meakin, the company behind the popular rum brand, has told the Bombay High Court that it will remove the claim from its packaging. The company has also agreed to make the presence of added flavours more clearly visible on the label.
The changes come amid a dispute with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which raised objections to the composition and labelling of certain Old Monk variants and halted their sale in Maharashtra.
FSSAI Objected To Old Monk
The food safety regulator questioned both what went into the product and what was being communicated to consumers through its label. According to FSSAI, the principal component of the product was neutral, unmatured spirit. Matured rum spirit accounted for less than 5% of the blend. The regulator argued that this composition could make the "7 years old blended" claim misleading for consumers.
FSSAI also raised objections to the use of external artificial or nature-identical flavouring agents. According to the regulator, rum must get its characteristic taste and aroma through recognised manufacturing processes, including fermentation and maturation.
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A Bar and Bench report said FSSAI argued that Old Monk relied heavily on neutral spirits mixed with artificial flavourings instead of naturally fermented sugarcane spirit.
The Bombay High Court Also Raised Questions
The issue was not limited to the "7 years old blended" claim. During the hearing, the Bombay High Court also questioned how information about added flavours appeared on the existing packaging.
The court raised concerns over whether consumers could properly read and understand these declarations when they were printed in fine print.
Now, in an effort to resolve the dispute, Mohan Meakin has given an undertaking before the court to revise the packaging. The company agreed to remove the "7 years old blended" claim completely. It also agreed to prominently disclose the presence of added flavours on the revised label.
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The Halt On Sales Is Still In Effect
Mohan Meakin had approached the Bombay High Court after notices issued by FSSAI halted the sale of Old Monk in Maharashtra. However, the court did not grant interim relief against FSSAI's prohibition order. The company has now been directed to submit a fresh, digitally printed label for review.