Credit: Glen’s Vodka / X

The UK’s food regulator has issued a public warning of counterfeit vodka labelled as Glen’s Vodka, which in severe cases could be lethal to consume.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) released a statement yesterday (4 September) that the counterfeit vodka is packaged as 35cl bottles of Glen’s Vodka. It added that the fake spirits may have a “strange smell and taste differently to genuine vodka”.

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It wrote: “Products sampled were found to contain isopropyl alcohol, so they are unsafe. Isopropyl alcohol is an industrial solvent and is not intended for human consumption.

“Consumption of isopropyl alcohol can quickly lead to alcohol poisoning and in severe cases death.”

Isopropanol is a toxic alcohol not suitable for human consumption. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, intoxication, respiratory depression and coma. Cardiovascular collapse is also possible, according to the FSA.

Glen’s Vodka is owned by Scotland-based drinks company Loch Lomond Group and lists its target market as the “strategically important 18-25 year-old age group in the vodka category”, according to Loch Lomond’s website.

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Just Drinks has contacted Loch Lomond Group for comment.

Loch Lomond has two production sites across Scotland, a distillery in Alexandria in Dunbartonshire and its Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown in Argyll. It also owns a bottling plant in Catrine in Ayrshire.

Earlier this year, US-based Foley Family Wines secured the rights to distribute Loch Lomond Group’s Scotch whiskies and Champagnes in the US.

The UK drinks group – which owns other brands like Spearhead Scotch whisky and Ben Lomond gin – posted operating profit of £13.6m ($17.9m) for its financial 2022, which is the most recent set of results available. This marked an increase of £3.8m on the previous year.

It turned over £101.9m in 2022, up 20% year-on-year. Total profit for the year stood flat at £3.9m.