Ingredients in local liquor found sub-standard
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 24 2022:
Amidst government's efforts to standardise local liquor and make available quality liquor including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) to the consumers by lifting the liquor prohibition Act from certain areas, a study has found sub-standard ingredients in locally produced liquor distilled in some parts of the state.
To ascertain if the local liquor meets the standard parameters, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and State Food Safety Authority collected liquor samples from different parts of the state but analysis report confirmed that some locally brewed liquor do not meet the FSSAI parameters.
Some locally brewed liquor even failed to reach minimal FSSAI limit while some exceeded the maximum limit.
According to a reliable source, a combined team of FSSAI and State Food Safety Authority randomly collected liquor samples from Konthoujam, Phayeng, Sanakeithel, Leimaram, Sekmai, Tairenpokpi, Andro, Pallel Lamkhai and Kakching Lamkhai and conducted laboratory testing and analysis of the samples one-by-one.
Alcoholic beverages and liquor being listed under food items, the FSSAI allots licence number of all liquor sold in the country and laboratory testing of local liquor was done to provide FSSAI licence.
In the first analysis, pa rameters of Alcohol By Volume (ABV) like percentage of alcohol, volatile acid, total aster, aldehydes and residues of locally brewed liquor were detected.
Standard alcohol value as per FSSAI is 19-43 percent but the analysis found that liquor brewed at Konthoujam village had alcohol content of 15.28 percent ABV while Phayeng liquor had 40.02 percent ABV.
Liquor brewed at Sanakeithel (Lamphel), Leimaram, Sekmai, Tairenpokpi, Andro, Sekmai village, Pallel Lamkhai (Sekmai Kalei) and Kakching Lamkhai was respectively 18.3, 21.33, 48.26, 42.09, 48.50, 45.58, 24.33 and 18.41 percent ABV.
As per finding of the analysis, liquor which fall under FSSAI range of 19-43 percent have no problem but those beyond the range need to be examined, particularly during distillation process.
Analysis of volatile acid content in liquor found that some the samples were below and above the FSSAI range.
As per FSSAI standard, maximum volatile acid content in 100 litre liquor is 100 gm but Phayeng liquor had 110.9445 gm while Sanakeithel (Lamphel) had 247.7419gm and Sekmai village had 140.587 gm volatile acid in 100 litres.
Failing to meet FSSAI parameter, liquor collected from these villages were termed sub-standard, the analysis report mentioned.
As per FSSAI standard, total aster content in 100 litre liquor is 150gm at the maximum but Konthoujam liquor had 247.7643 gm .