Food Hazard Warning - Contaminated Spirits

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a nationwide health warning about drinking counterfeit Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky contaminated with unacceptable levels of methanol.

Customs and Excise and police officers discovered the fake bottles during an operation last week. The FSA has warned about counterfeit Johnnie Walker before; in November 2002, 50 similar fake bottles were found in Hackney. The new fakes differ slightly (the ones found in November had a neck label with a mistake in the wording, while those found last week had the neck label removed).

David Statham, the agency's Director of Enforcement and Food Standards, said: "Tests carried out on the counterfeit whisky show that it has been contaminated with methanol.

"At the levels detected, consumers would be at risk of harmful effects including severe stomach pain and blindness.

"The fake whisky should be avoided and anyone who thinks they may have drunk some within the last 24 hours should contact their doctor. We strongly advise people to check that they have the genuine article, rather than this latest version of the fake Johnnie Walker."

Fake bottles can be distinguished from genuine Johnnie Walker in a number of ways:

• the fake bottles have Spanish writing on the rear label, unlike the genuine article;
• a fake lot code "L04P24878342" is printed on the rear of the front centre label;
• the fake bottles do not have a neck label (the fakes found previously did have a neck label, but with the word "distillers" wrongly given as "distilleries");
• the counterfeits have no "E" mark on their base between "700ml and 73mm".

The public should be aware that fake labels for Highland Pride Whisky were also found on the premises raided last week, suggesting that counterfeit bottles of that whisky may also be in circulation. The FSA has not been able to test any fake Highland Pride for safety, and has advised the public not to drink it if they think it is a fake.

There are a number of ways in which the fake Highland Pride labels differ from genuine ones, including:

• the front label of a genuine bottle is marked "1 litre" and "43% vol." but the counterfeit reads "1 L" and "40% vol";
• the genuine bottle says "BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND" whereas the counterfeit says "PRODUCED AND BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND";
• the fake version has a recycle sign on it, the genuine one does not.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITOR

• For more information, call the Food Standards Agency's press office on 0207 276 8888 or email press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk