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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
