BHUBANESWAR: Can beer go stale in six months? The prolonged lockdown and gallons of beer nearing expiry have made the Excise department to rethink. Recently, a three-member committee, including Managing Director of Odisha State Beverages Corporation Limited (OSBCL) and Excise Commissioner Odisha unanimously recommended extension of shelf life of beer manufactured in the State from six to nine months after conducting chemical tests.
The decision was taken as the existing Odisha Excise Act and Rules don’t specify the shelf life for beer to be sold in the State. But under rule 102 (2) of the Odisha Excise Rules 2017, the labels pasted on the beer bottles to be sold in the State must contain the date of expiry and other particulars as specified by the Excise Commissioner from time to time.
Interestingly, the shelf life of beer made in Odisha and exported to other states, including West Bengal, Tripura, Puducherry, and Delhi is 12 months from the date of manufacturing. That’s because the shelf life of beer, as mandated by the respective governments, in all these states is 12 months. However, the recent decision is case specific. “It is a one-time decision.
The manufacturers will have to get their stocks tested at State Drugs Testing and Research Laboratory. Only after the liquor is found fit for human consumption, the permission for changing the date on label will be given by the Commissioner,” said Excise Superintendent (Khurda), Prasanna Acharya. Meanwhile, sources revealed that the permission has already been granted to one of the manufacturers after chemical examination. The nod has been given for around 734 cases (500ml) stocked at OSBCL’s Khurda depot and 109 at Rayagada.