Excise Department stops sale of beer of one brand bottled on July 15 for being unsafe for consumption

A file photo of a unit of United Breweries Limited that manufactures Kingfisher beer. | Photo Credit: Photo for representation only

The Excise Department (Bengaluru Urban district) has issued a notification withholding the sale of beer of one brand bottled on July 15 after it was found unsafe for consumption. The order, issued on August 2, stated that sediments were formed in those bottles on that date at a brewery of United Breweries Limited (UBL).

According to a senior official in the department, over 11,000 bottles were part of the batch. The department has directed the Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Limited licence holders and Retail Vend of Beer (RVB) to immediately stop the sale of the two products bottled on July 15 until further order.

S.L. Rajendra Prasad, Additional Commissioner, said an investigation team has also been formed by the department to analyse samples from the batch further. “The UBL has admitted the presence of sediment in one brand, and it has requested further analysis in the second brand. The department will arrive at a further decision once analysis is complete,” he said.

Mr. Prasad said that breweries manufacturing beer have to provide samples from every batch. Chemists in the department run tests to check whether the liquor is safe for consumption. In the batch bottled on July 15, there was some variation in yeast, which may have resulted in the formation of sediments. As a result, the company has taken bottles of the batch off the market.

Another senior official, who is looking into the case, said although the beer was bottled on July 15, the presence of sediments was detected on July 28. “We are now checking whether bottles from the batch were sold between these days. Now, the sale is frozen, and bottles from the batch will be destroyed by the company.”

UBL statement

A spokesperson of United Breweries Ltd. said, “United Breweries Ltd. was notified of a slight haze in a small percentage of bottles from an approved batch of Kingfisher Ultra beer produced on July 15 at one of our breweries located in Nanjangud, Mysuru district. While the haze isn’t a health risk, we’re addressing concerns by collaborating with authorities, taking remedial steps, and prioritizing transparency and cooperation. All our products adhere to the prescribed regulatory guidelines and meet the high-quality standards of United Breweries Ltd.”