After Fireball’s recent recall in several European countries, the Sazerac Company would like to inform you that the sweet, beloved cinnamon-flavored whiskey with over $61 million in annual sales is perfectly safe to drink—except by European standards.
The whole debacle started after batches of the American formula made their way onto European shelves. (There are two versions of Fireball whose recipes vary slightly. The European variation does not allow the same level of propylene glycol—a compound used in many processed foods as well as anti-freeze—that the USDA approves in America.) When the governments of Finland noticed that the levels of propylene glycol were above those prescribed by European law, it, along with Norway and Sweden, forced the product’s recall. And once that happened, the rumor mill began to churn.
But rest assured, America; the Fireball you know and somehow love is here to stay, proclaims Sazerac. As opposed to its European counterparts, the FDA has no qualms about propylene glycol, dubbing the compound “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” if present in amounts under 50 grams/kg. With Fireball’s American version containing less than an eighth of this legal limit, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Besides your dignity—and the nagging feeling that Europeans might have a point about regulating weird ingredients. [The Sazerac Company] [Photo: Flickr/m01229]