Mezcal regulatory body fined by Mexican government

The Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) has been fined almost one million pesos (£33,500) by the Mexican government for spreading misleading information.

Mexico’s Secretariat of the Economy (SE) has fined one of the country’s mezcal regulatory bodies for a number of violations committed since 2017.

In a ruling issued on 30 June, the CRM was accused of spreading false and misleading information in relation to a PR campaign which ran with the tagline: ‘If it doesn’t have a CRM hologram, it isn’t mezcal’.

The SE stated that the campaign implied that the CRM had the sole right to certify mezcal under the Denomination of Origin (DO) for the spirit.

However, the SE has also awarded such rights to three other certification bodies in the country, which include PAMFA, CMX and CIDAM.

The SE also said that the CRM had “intentionally, repeatedly and unjustifiably” refused to recognise these certifying bodies and verification facilities, which in turn led to consumer confusion.

The SE imposed two fines on CRM one for 260,640 pesos and the other for 695,040 pesos.

In a statement, the National Chamber of the Mezcal Industry (CANAIMEZ) welcomed the decision.

“We applaud the decision, which seeks to eradicate monopolies and promote the formality, ethics and values ​​of the entire mezcal sector. We are in favour of a free market for the growth of the mezcal,” it stated.

the drinks business has contacted the CRM for comment.