The council’s Environmental Health team is working with colleagues in licensing and trading standards to track down, and remove, counterfeit bottles of Glen’s vodka which may have found their way to the local market.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has issued a food alert for action notice to all Scottish Local Authorities, requesting them to identify and visit relevant establishments to check for counterfeit products and make businesses aware of the issue.
Lab results from counterfeit vodka sampled in August 2024 confirmed the presence of the chemical isopropyl.
Isopropanol (isopropyl, IPA) is a toxic alcohol not suitable for human consumption. Ingestion of any amount can lead to toxicity and larger amounts can be fatal. Ingested IPA will be converted to acetone and so onset of symptoms may be immediate or delayed, for up to 30 hours post ingestion. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, intoxication, respiratory depression and coma. Cardiovascular collapse is also possible. Anyone with symptoms should seek medical attention call NHS 111 in the first instance or 999 in an emergency. Please be aware the presence of IPA can have a strong odour and it may be possible to detect contaminated products by smell alone, although this should not be relied upon.
If anyone believes they may have purchased such products, or has any concerns about a product, please contact the Environmental Health team by emailing: envhealthwest@argyll-bute.gov.uk. You can also contact the FSS Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (foodcrime@fss.scot) for further advice. Do not drink any of the product or suspected product and please store in a safe place to allow the Environmental Health Team to collect and analyse.
There are straightforward ways of identifying genuine bottles of Glen’s vodka. They have a laser etched lotcode applied to the bottle between the rear label and the base of the bottle. They also have markings on the bottom of the bottle that specify the bottle size (in millilitres), fill height and have a bottle ID number.
If anyone has any information on the manufacture or sale of counterfeit alcohol then please contact the Scottish Food Crime Hotline (0800 028 7926) or online, in partnership with Crimestoppers. The hotline is free and anonymous.