The decision affects brands produced by Diageo’s United Spirits subsidiary, Inbrew Beverages and Old Monk maker Mohan Rocky Springwater at selected production sites. The FSSAI said it permits the use of natural flavouring substances in alcoholic drinks, but its tests found that some Diageo and Inbrew factories were adding flavours of the alcoholic beverage itself, for example adding rum flavour to rum. “There is no internationally recognised manufacturing practice whereby rum flavour is added to rum or whisky flavour is added to whisky,” the FSSAI said. The regulator said adding whisky flavour to whisky or rum flavour to rum could mask the beverages’ natural characteristics and mislead consumers. It remains unclear whether the ban applies only to products made at the named production facilities or extends to the same brands produced elsewhere.