Alcohol Specifications

Ecuador

Ecuadorian National Standards Institute (I.N.E.N)

Standard 1,837 (1991-07)

Liqueurs

Note: This is an edited and abridged translation of the original standard which is in Spanish (see Notes on Translations of Ecuadorian Standards ). Reference should be made to the original standard for details of test methods, and to authenticate any particular matter.

A. Definition: (a) Liqueur is the beverage produced by mixing or redistilling extra-neutral rectified alcohol, or neutral rectified alcohol, or rectified aguardiente with permitted food additives, produced by distillation, infusion, percolation or maceration, which may be sweetened with sugar or honey, and colored with permitted colorants.

(b) Liqueurs are classified by their sugar content:

  1. "Seco" (dry) containing less than 10 g of sugar per litre.
  2. "Semi-seco" (semi-dry) containing between 10 and 50 g of sugar per litre.
  3. "Crema" (cream): Liqueurs with a high viscosity, containing more than 250 g of sugar per litre.
  4. "Escarchado" (Frozen): Liqueurs which are super-saturated with sugar.

(c) Liqueurs may contain added aromatic substances and permitted sweeteners.

(d) Liqueurs may not contain any substances commonly used as alcohol denaturants, nor inorganic or organic acids foreign to the normal composition of the product.

(e) Liqueurs may not contain essences, extracts, aromatic blends, colorings, artificial sweeteners or preservatives which are prohibited.

(f) The water used to dilute liqueurs to bottling strength must be potable, in accordance with Ecuadorian Standard 1,108. It may be demineralized, deionized or distilled.

B. Specifications:
  (a) Appearance: The products may be transparent or colored, in accordance with the nature of their ingredients.
  (b) Odor and taste: The products should have organoleptic characteristics according to their components.
  (c) Chemical compostion:
   

Parameter

Unit

A

B

C

Test Method

       

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

 
    1. Alcohol content

°Gay Lussac @ 15°C

15

45

15

45

15

45

INEN 340

    2. Total acids, as acetic acid

mg/100 ml

__

1.5
(15 p.p.m)

__

15
(150 p.p.m)

__

40
(400 p.p.m)

INEN 341

    3. Total esters, as ethyl acetate

mg/100 ml

__

2.0
(20 p.p.m)

__

5
(50 p.p.m)

__

30
(300 p.p.m)

INEN 342

    4. Aldehydes, as acetaldehyde

mg/100 ml

__

0.5
(5 p.p.m)

__

2
(20 p.p.m)

__

10
(100 p.p.m)

INEN 343

    5. Furfural

mg/100 ml

__

0

__

0.5
(5 p.p.m)

__

1.0
(10 p.p.m)

INEN 344

    6. Higher Alcohols

mg/100 ml

__

0.5
(5 p.p.m)

__

5
(50 p.p.m)

__

150
(1500 p.p.m)

INEN 345

    7. Methanol

mg/100 ml

__

2
(20 p.p.m)

__

6
(60 p.p.m)

__

10
(10 p.p.m)

INEN 347

A = Liqueurs made with extra neutral rectified ethyl alcohol (Standard 1,675).

B = Liqueurs made with rectified ethyl alcohol (Standard 375).

C = Liqueurs made with rectified cane aguardiente (Standard 362).

Go back