One of the fastest-growing liquor brands in America is being recalled in some European countries over an ingredient found in some types of antifreeze.
Fireball, a cinnamon-flavored whiskey, is still on store shelves in the U.S., though countries including Finland, Sweden, and Norway, have pulled the whiskey off store shelves after finding it contained too much propylene glycol, an ingredient in some types of antifreeze, CBS News reports.
The manufacturer, Sazerac, said, “Unfortunately, Fireball shipped its North American formula to Europe and found that one ingredient is out of compliance with European regulations.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows about 50 grams per kilogram of propylene glycol in foods, and Sazerac said Fireball Whisky uses less than an eighth of that amount.
The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) says that propylene glycol is used to absorb extra water and maintain moisture in some medicines, cosmetics, or food products and it is a solvent for food colors and flavors. Propylene glycol can be found in antifreeze and deicing products, and in some everyday products from food to toothpastes. The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) permit the use of propylene glycol in limited quantities, CBS News reports. Though propylene glycol is in the FDA category “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), it can cause skin, respiratory, urinary and kidney reactions in some people.
Propylene glycol is more strictly monitored in Europe and the amount in Fireball exceeds the permissible amount. Sazerac insists Fireball Whisky is perfectly safe to drink. With all the flavored whiskies competing on the market, “this is something that the Sazerac Company is very concerned about,” according to the The New York Times.
