Draft law to ban non-organic fermented drinks, except beer and wine in Romania

The use of sugars, starch or similar products meant to increase potential alcohol levels in fermented alcoholic drinks, other than beer and wine, will be prohibited, according to a draft decision by the Ministries of Agriculture and of Health. The document says only fruit, parts of fruit and honey may be used in the production of fermented alcoholic beverages, while the use of starch, sucrose and glucose will be banned, because of these ingredients' adverse health effects. The decision might be enforced in January, according to Agriculture Ministry state secretary Adrian Radulescu, quoted by Mediafax newswire. Also, the ethanol used in production must entirely come from the alcoholic fermentation of the sugars that naturally make up agricultural products.