Was Fireball Banned? – The Facts Behind The Fireball Whisky Scare

Is it banned? The short answer is no.

You may have seen quite a few posts on social media telling you that you would no longer be able to purchase and/or enjoy Fireball Whisky due to a recall and subsequent ban claiming the product is unsafe to drink.

These posts are wrong, or at the very least, very misinformed. (WHEW!)

Here is the information you need from  an official press release from the makers of Fireball:

"Fireball Cinnamon Whisky assures its consumers the product is perfectly safe to drink. There is no recall in North America. Fireball fans can enjoy their favorite product as they always have.

 

Late last week, Sazerac, the makers of Fireball, was contacted by its European bottler regarding a small recipe-related compliance issue in Finland.

 

Regulations for the product formulation are different in Europe, which explains why recipes for products like soft drinks, alcohol/spirits and even candies and confections are slightly different than their North American counterparts. Fireball, therefore, has a slightly different recipe for Europe.

 

Unfortunately, Fireball shipped its North American formula to Europe and found that one ingredient is out of compliance with European regulations. Finland, Sweden and Norway have asked to recall those specific batches, which is what the brand is doing. Fireball anticipates being back on the shelves for fans in these countries within three weeks.

 

The ingredient in question was propylene glycol (PG). PG is a regularly used and perfectly safe flavoring ingredient. PG has been used in more than 4,000 food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products for more than 50 years. Most people consume PG every day in soft drinks, sweeteners, some foods and alcoholic beverages.

 

The ingredient is “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration up to 50 grams per KG. In Canada, its use is limited to “good manufacturing practice” with no defined numerical limit. It is used in the Fireball flavor in very small quantities, less than 1/8th of the amount allowed by the US FDA regulations.

 

All Fireball formulas are absolutely safe to drink and the use of PG in Fireball creates no health risks whatsoever. There is no recall in North America. Fireball fans can continue to enjoy their favorite product as they always have."

(This press release is available on the Fireball Whisky website.)

So please disregard all the posts that claim that there is a recall, ban or anything like that involving Fireball. And while you're at it, pass me the bottle. I'll take a hit!