PANAJI
The Excise Department has issued a circular banning the use of words like ‘Fenny’ or ‘Feny’ – that could distort the original identity of the spirit – and the term ‘heritage’ when selling Goa's traditional bottled liquor.
Speaking to The Goan, a senior excise official revealed that the Goa Excise Act doesn't specify the term ‘heritage,’ while the Goa Feni Policy 2021 spells ‘Feni’ accordingly.
“Although the use of terms like ‘heritage’ or ‘hurrack’ is traditionally used by all of us, these are not officially prescribed in the Excise Act, and hence it could mislead or confuse the consumers. Moreover, the circular insists on maintaining the originality of Feni, especially given its Geographical Indication (GI) accreditation,” he said.
The official further explained that though there was no immediate urgency in issuing the circular, these changes are possible during label renewals ahead of the financial year only.
“We want to bring uniformity and maintain the original identity of the traditional spirit. It will also regulate the sales of Feni and prevent misuse of terminology by some sellers,” he said.
The circular also restricts manufacturers from printing the map of India or the word ‘defence’ on product labels.
