A.P. to introduce new parameters to test liquor quality

Minister for Excise Kollu Ravindra on Wednesday said the State government is introducing new standards and procedures to ensure quality of liquor. The government has decided to introduce 13 parameters to test the blending and extra-neutral alcohol, he said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Minister said the process, which is presently limited to testing only extra-neutral alcohol (ENA) based on six parameters, would be thoroughly modernised. Until now, regional excise laboratories tested ENA based on basic parameters such as ethyl alcohol, acidity, aldehydes, methanol and water content.

For Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) such as whiskey, brandy, vodka, gin and rum, the alcohol strength (percentage) in blended samples was the only parameter tested before bottling. However, the government has now introduced comprehensive changes to this system, adopting advanced technology, he said.

The Minister said that gas chromatography, a highly advanced technique, would be used to test both ENA and blended samples (prepared before bottling). This method, now available in regional probationary and excise laboratories in Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Chittoor, Kurnool and Kakinada ensures that all types of liquor are tested according to the guidelines and regulations of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), he said.

As part of this modernisation, 13 parameters have been established for testing the ENA, and 9 parameters for testing blended liquor samples (such as whiskey, brandy, vodka, gin) before bottling. These new standards will help prevent chemical reactions, he added.

Published - November 06, 2024 08:22 pm IST