Spirit is ‘potentially damaging to health’
Spirit is ‘potentially damaging to health’
12th December 2011
Spirit is ‘potentially damaging to health’
In the run-up to Christmas, a national alert has been issued to warn shoppers of illicit vodka that is ‘potentially damaging to health’.
Bottles of the illegal spirit, ‘Drop Vodka 70cl’, have been found on sale at outlets throughout the UK in a number of towns and cities including Norwich, typically in small independent retailers such as corner shops and garages. The Food Standards Agency has warned that the liquor contains Propan-2-ol and other substances which can be potentially damaging to health.
Cllr Paul Claussen, Breckland Council Executive Member for Planning and Environmental Services said:
“We are working with our businesses to protect the public and ensure that this potentially dangerous vodka is removed from sale. Our officers have written to Breckland businesses to notify them of this hazard and will be helping proprietors check stocks and identify any rogue items”.
Lack of information on labelling means that it has not been possible at this stage to identify the manufacturer, or to trace its distribution.
The main distinctive marks by which the spirit can be identified are –
The Duty stamp does not fluoresce under UV light.
- The duty reference on the illicit bottles A000000000618 belongs to Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd. Drop Vodka is not a Glen Catrine product.
- The barcode 0123456789 is not a valid bar code.
- No spirit manufacturers lot number on bottle.
- No manufacturers name and address on the label.
- Front and rear labels are self-adhesive.
- Punt mark on bottles show bottle made by ‘Ol glassware’.
- The general print quality of the labels is poor.
For further information, contact Breckland’s Food Safety Team on 01362 656870.
