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The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority carried out food safety controls of liquors and alcoholic drinks imported into the Czech Republic from foreign countries. CAFIA received some sporadic, but repeating, information already in the previous period that the imported alcoholic drinks may have contained substances listed as non-permitted. Therefore, it was decided to carry out target inspections that focused especially on the control of the contents of phthalates and ethylcarbamate (urethane) in the imported beverages.

The inspectors took a total of 51 samples of alcoholic beverages from the importers and distributors. The results of laboratory analyses showed that altogether 11 samples (i.e. 21.6%) did not comply with the determined regulations. The admissible limit for phthalates was exceeded in 6 samples (i.e. 12%). The contents of ethylcarbamate were analysed only in fruit liquors, as this substance may get released from the stones of the used fruits. Out of 9 analysed samples the tests showed the admissible hygienic limit exceeding contents of this substance in two cases (approx. 22%). Moreover, five of the tested samples were not properly labelled. Mostly data in the Czech language were missing on the etiquettes.

The spirits in which the inspectors detected incompliance with the prescribed food safety standards were imported from Slovakia, Germany, France, Italy and Poland. The CAFIA inspectors imposed a ban on the sale of the identified alcoholic beverages in the value of more than 378 thousand Czech crowns.

As resulted from the inspection, also the foreign manufacturers use in the production of spirits unsuitable tools or equipment coated with some types of paints or made of specific types of plastics that can release esters of phthalate acid into the manufactured beverages. The same applies to the production of fruit liquors where the admissible limit exceeding values of ethylcarbamate are released into the manufactured liquors. All cases of the identified food safety incompliance with the valid regulations were clearly a consequence of the use of inappropriate technology.