Propylene glycol, used as antifreeze in cars, has been cited as the reason for pulling Fireball Whiskey from shelves in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, according to reports.
Fireball Whiskey is cinnamon flavored and popular among college students.
The US Food and Drug Administration has said that propylene glycol is “generally recognized as safe” for use in food.
But the substance can have toxic effects in certain circumstances, including for people suffering with skin or eye conditions.
The manufacturer of Fireball, based in the US, did not “meet the requirements of the European Union’s tighter regulations concerning recommended levels of propylene glycol,” said the Finnish state alcohol monopoly Alko, according to a report from YLE.com. “Alko said that Fireball liqueur is sold in several European countries, but only so far it is the only retailer to have filed a complaint about the matter,” the report adds.
“In contrast to ethylene glycol, a potent cause of acute toxicity in humans, propylene glycol is a ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) additive for foods and medications. Propylene glycol rarely causes toxic effects, and then only under very unusual circumstances,” says the Aency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, a US government agency.
It adds: “In the general population, propylene glycol exposure occurs primarily through ingestion of food and medications and through dermal contact with cosmetics or topical medications. Propylene glycol is used as a solvent in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, in various formats.”
And it continues: “No adverse health effects are likely to occur from normal use of these products. However, heavy use of injectable medications with propylene glycol, or prolonged and extensive topical application on compromised skin, such as burns, has caused excess levels of propylene glycol in the body. Propylene glycol toxicity has been reported only rarely and in unusual circumstances.”