Karnataka Excise Dept seizes Rs 25 cr worth beer after lab tests show it unfit for human consumption
Mysuru (K'taka) (PTI): 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 15th 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.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
