The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
On Tuesday, Sazerac, makers of the trendy Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, insisted that Fireball was safe to drink and denied rumors that there had been a product recall in North America. It also explained the origin of the misunderstanding.
Late last week Sazerac, the makers of Fireball, was contacted by its European bottler regarding a small recipe-related compliance issue in Finland.
Regulations for product formulation are different in Europe, which explains why recipes for products like soft drinks, alcohol/spirits and even candies and confections are slightly different than their North American counterparts. Fireball, therefore, has a slightly different recipe for Europe.
Unfortunately, Fireball shipped its North American formula to Europe and found that one ingredient is out of compliance with European regulations. Finland, Sweden and Norway have asked to recall those specific batches, which is what the brand is doing. Fireball anticipates being back on the shelves for fans in these countries within three weeks.
The ingredient in question was propylene glycol (PG). PG is a regularly used and perfectly safe flavoring ingredient. PG has been used in more than 4,000 food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for more than 50 years. Most people consume PG every day in soft drinks, sweeteners, some foods or alcoholic beverages.
The ingredient is “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration up to 50 grams per KG. In Canada, its use is limited to “good manufacturing practice” with no defined numerical limit. It is used in the Fireball flavor in very small quantities, less than 1/8th of the amount allowed by US FDA regulations.
All Fireball formulas are absolutely safe to drink and the use of PG in Fireball creates no health risk whatsoever. There is no recall in North America. Fireball fans can continue to enjoy their favorite product as they always have.
The Scandinavian Fireball flap follows August’s ban on Kentucky Gentleman, another Sazerac product, by Russia. Although the Russians claimed Kentucky Gentleman is tainted, that country’s regulatory agencies also targeted Jack Daniel’s, and these were widely seen as retaliation for sanctions made by the United States in response to Russia’ involvement in the Ukraine Crisis.
