Organizations are calling for a control system to curb fraud in the beverage industry.
Fhoresp and ABCF advocate for the return of Sicobe following a surge in beverage counterfeiting and a drop of up to 50% in the consumption of distilled spirits.
247 - The crisis involving cases of methanol poisoning in different regions of Brazil has raised concerns in the bar and restaurant sector about the safety of consuming distilled spirits. The Federation of Hotels, Restaurants and Bars of the State of São Paulo (Fhoresp) and the Brazilian Association to Combat Counterfeiting (ABCF) released a joint statement on the 6th of this month requesting the reactivation of the Beverage Production Control System (Sicobe), which was deactivated in 2016.
According to the organizations, the absence of Sicobe, created in 2008 to monitor beverage production and combat both tax evasion and adulteration, has left room for the expansion of the illegal market. Data released by Fhoresp shows that, in just one week, the number of visitors to bars and nightclubs fell by 30%, while the consumption of distilled spirits shrank by 50%. ABCF estimates that counterfeiting grew by 25,8% between 2023 and 2024, reaching 36% of beverages sold in the country.
Health risks and economic impact
In the statement, the two organizations assert that the current scenario of infections and deaths highlights serious flaws in oversight and threatens both the credibility of the sector and the safety of consumers. "The absence of effective control, such as that of Sicobe, facilitates the actions of organized crime and puts the lives of citizens at risk, which is unacceptable, and also undermines the livelihood and job creation throughout the bar and restaurant sector, so important to the Brazilian economy," the text emphasizes.
Edson Pinto, executive director of Fhoresp, advocated for urgent actions involving the tracking of beverages throughout the production chain. He believes the Federal Revenue Service needs to reactivate Sicobe to contain the crisis. “We are in a health emergency and acting in the dark. Brazil needs to reinstate the system for verifying beverage production from the source. This would be a way to close the net on counterfeiting. We still don't know the extent of the contaminated batches. However, it's time to rethink how Brazil has been acting in controlling the beverage trade,” he stated.
Environmental issues and reverse logistics
Another point raised by the statement is the fate of glass bottles used by the beverage industry. Rodolpho Ramazzini, Communications Director of ABCF, warned that it is not necessary to create new burdens for establishments, since Brazil already has federal regulations on reverse logistics. “We already have federal regulations that address the recycling cycle of glass containers. The vast majority return to the industry, which, by reusing the glass, reduces costs and contributes to the environment. Adding measures, such as crushing, places responsibility on establishments for the disposal of the containers,” he explained.
