Beer worth Rs 25 crore seized in Karnataka after lab tests show it unfit for human consumption

Mysuru, August 16

The State Excise Department has seized two leading brands of beer worth Rs 25 crore after a chemical test report found it “unfit for human consumption”, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Apart from registering a case, the Department has initiated steps to destroy the stock, Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Mysuru Rural, A Ravishankar told reporters here.

According to him, the Excise Superintendent of Nanjangud lodged a complaint with his office on July 28 stating that Kingfisher Strong Beer and Kingfisher Ultra Lager Beer with batch number 7C and 7E, which were manufactured at the Nanjangud unit of United Breweries Limited on July 17, 2023, have sediments and, hence, they have been sent for chemical examination.

The Excise Superintendent requested that till the time the lab test report comes, the stock should be seized, the officer said.

Ravishankar said he wrote to the Deputy Commissioners of the districts and Excise Deputy Commissioners to hold back the stock with the two batch numbers. In the meantime, the samples were also sent to a lab for chemical examination.

“We received a report from the chemical examiner on August 2 saying that both the brands (with batch No. 7C and 7E) were unfit for human consumption. Following the report, we wrote to the DCs and Excise DCs to take further steps, which means those stocks should be destroyed,” the Excise Deputy Commissioner said.

Sources in the department said the beer was worth Rs 25 crore.

Meanwhile, United Breweries Limited has stated that it is an isolated incident in a single batch of Kingfisher Ultra only and not Kishfisher Strong. The company is working closely with authorities to clarify the situation, it said.

“UBL identified a slight haze in a small portion of Kingfisher Ultra beer bottles produced on July 15 at our Nanjangud brewery in Mysuru. We promptly notified authorities and are actively cooperating with their investigation. This is an isolated incident in a single batch of Kingfisher Ultra only and not Kingfisher Strong.

“We have conducted an external independent lab (NABL accredited) analysis of the impacted Kingfisher Ultra batch which confirmed that the test parameters are within regulatory guidelines and therefore, poses no health risks. We are working closely with authorities to clarify the situation. Our priority continues to be quality and safety for our partners and consumers,” said a United Breweries Ltd spokesperson.