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Fact-check

Is Old Monk banned in India?

Last checked 1 October 2026

Old Monk. Status: Not banned; Khopoli order in force.
Regulatory notice

Old Monk is not banned across India as of 1 Oct 2026. A 29 Jun 2026 FSSAI order stops fresh sale of three variants from the Khopoli plant; the Bombay High Court refused a stay and is reviewing the label.

Classification
Restricted (Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006)
Decided by
FSSAI Western Regional Office; Bombay High Court
Reference
FSSAI Western Regional Office prohibition order of 29 Jun 2026 and conditional prohibition order of 27 Jul 2026 under section 36(3)(b) of the FSS Act; Bombay HC hearings 7, 10 and 31 Aug, early Sep and 11 Sep 2026
Evidence
Government document
Latest action
11 September 2026
Last checked
1 October 2026
See the source Report a mistake

Old Monk rum 180 ml bottle. Photo: Old Monk Rum.jpg by Pinakpani (CC BY-SA 4.0). Brand names and logos belong to their owners and are used here to identify the product this entry is about. All photo credits.

Primary government sourceTier 1: government primary source

Old Monk, McDowell rum manufacturers move Bombay High Court against FSSAI order prohibiting sale

FSSAI Western Regional Office; Bombay High Court · FSSAI Western Regional Office prohibition order of 29 Jun 2026 and conditional prohibition order of 27 Jul 2026 under section 36(3)(b) of the FSS Act; Bombay HC hearings 7, 10 and 31 Aug, early Sep and 11 Sep 2026 · 7 August 2026

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Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.

Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe organise and explain what the document says. The document above is the authority.

Key facts

Is it banned?
No. The order covers three variants made at one Khopoli, Maharashtra facility
Is it discontinued?
No. Mohan Meakin continues to make Old Monk
What the order says
29 Jun 2026: prohibition of sale. 27 Jul 2026: conditional order allowing existing stock if relabelled 'Rum Flavoured Spirit'
Legal basis
Section 36(3)(b), Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; the company says this section does not give FSSAI that power
'Not a rum'?
FSSAI told the court the blend is mostly neutral spirit with under 5 percent matured rum and added rum flavour, so it should be labelled a rum flavoured spirit
Age claim
'7 Years Old Blended' is being removed by agreement (31 Aug 2026)
Where sale is restricted
Product from the Khopoli plant, which mainly serves Maharashtra; bottles from other plants are outside the order

Where the claim comes from

The 'Old Monk banned' and 'Old Monk is not a rum' searches began on 3 to 4 Aug 2026, when FSSAI's public statement on flavoured spirits was reported under headlines such as 'FSSAI bans Old Monk'. The orders themselves date from 29 Jun and 27 Jul 2026. The Federal's piece 'Old Monk isn't rum, says FSSAI' supplied the second phrase, and the Bombay High Court hearings in August and September kept the story running.

Old Monk is not banned, not discontinued and still on sale in most of India. What happened is narrower than the headlines. On 29 Jun 2026 FSSAI's Western Regional Office issued a prohibition order under section 36(3)(b) of the Food Safety and Standards Act against Old Monk variants produced at the Mohan Rocky Springwater facility in Khopoli, Maharashtra. News reports name The Legend, Gold Reserve and XXX. On 27 Jul 2026 a conditional order followed, allowing stock already made to be sold if relabelled as a rum flavoured spirit.

FSSAI's grounds were that the blend is mostly unaged neutral spirit with added rum flavour, which in its view makes the product a rum flavoured spirit rather than rum, and that the '7 Years Old Blended' claim was not substantiated. FSSAI made its position public on 3 Aug 2026, saying there is no ban on flavourings as such, only on adding a spirit's own flavour to imitate what should come from fermentation and maturing.

Mohan Meakin and United Spirits went to the Bombay High Court, arguing that section 36(3)(b) does not give FSSAI the power to prohibit sale on its own. On 10 Aug 2026 the court refused interim relief and gave FSSAI until 24 Aug to reply. On 31 Aug the company agreed to remove the age claim and to submit a revised label; the court again declined a stay. In early September the revised label was reviewed and the matter was listed for 11 Sep 2026. The outcome of that hearing has not been published.

United Spirits' matching order on McDowell's No.1 rum from Baramati was revoked by FSSAI on 17 Aug 2026 after the company engaged with the regulator, and USL withdrew its petition. Associated Alcohols obtained a stay from the Madhya Pradesh High Court on its own order. Old Monk's order remains in force for the Khopoli plant as of 1 Oct 2026.

What this means for you

Still on sale in most of India

Bottles made at plants outside Khopoli are not covered. In Maharashtra fresh stock from Khopoli is held back until the label is settled.

Not a safety matter

Neither FSSAI nor the court has said the product is unsafe. The dispute is about what the bottle may call itself and the age claim.

Expect a new label

The '7 Years Old' line is going. Whether the bottle says 'Flavoured Rum' or similar is what the court is deciding.

This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.

Common questions

Is Old Monk discontinued?

No. The company continues to make it; the dispute is about the label and the age claim.

Is Old Monk banned in Maharashtra?

Fresh stock from the Khopoli plant cannot be sold under the current label while the FSSAI order stands. The Bombay High Court has so far refused a stay.

Was the order issued on 3 Aug 2026?

No. The orders are dated 29 Jun and 27 Jul 2026. 3 Aug 2026 is when FSSAI's public statement was widely reported.

Sources

Government documents

News reports

Researched and written by The Blacklisted team
We are not doctors or pharmacists. Everything on this page comes from the documents listed above, which you can open and check. Last checked 1 October 2026. How we check · Who we are · Spotted a mistake? Tell us.