A new scheme to verify Scotch whisky will help the industry crack down on sales of adulterated Scotch whiskies abroad, the government has said.
The Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme, announced today by chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, is intended to build on existing controls defined by UK and EU law and is designed to give additional protection to bulk shipments of whisky outside the UK.
Businesses will have to register all sites involved in Scotch whisky production with HMRC, which will carry out inspections to ensure every stage of the supply chain complies with the stringent rules of Scotch production.
Distilleries, maturation facilities, blending and bottling plants in Scotland, and bottling facilities abroad will be subject to the new scheme and the HMRC will only verify a brand if all processes along the supply chain have been assured.
A single certificate of verification will replace the current ‘Certificates of Age and Origin’ and ‘Certificates of Authenticity’ with a database of verified producers to provide greater traceability and transparency of Scotch whiskies.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) welcomed the scheme, saying it marked a “step change” that would provide Scotch – which is already registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) – with the highest levels of protection. A spokesman said the new process would prevent whisky being shipped overseas and sold as Scotch after being adulterated, as well as strengthening its ability to take action in different markets.
“There are tight controls in place already, but this give Customs the opportunity to verify and better control the use of bulk whisky overseas,” he said.
The scheme, which is estimated to cost around £350,000 a year, will be funded by the industry, but the SWA said this was unlikely to have an impact on pricing and was a “reasonable cost” to protect a trade worth £4.3bn to the Scottish economy.
Danny Alexander said the booming Scotch whisky industry was a huge asset to Scotland and the UK, and benefitted from being part of the UK and European market. “The UK government is doing its bit today to step in and make sure cheap fakes don’t undermine this unique global export. The verification scheme will make sure people who buy Scotch get what they pay for – the finest spirit in the world.”
A Defra spokesman confirmed that the verification scheme is likely to be adapted and extended to cover all UK spirits drinks that have an Geographical Indication under the EU spirits drinks scheme. At present, this includes Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream, Somerset Cider Brandy and Plymouth Gin; it is possible that other UK spirits may be added in future years.
However, it will not be extended to the UK beers that have Protected Geographical indication (PGI) status, which are already protected in domestic and export markets by the EU’s protected food names scheme.
