Spirit denaturation
Spirits, i.e. more than 80 per cent of ethanol, may be denatured by a licence holder who holds a licence for the import, manufacture, wholesale or use of spirits.
Slightly denatured spirit is spirit which has been made unfit for consumption and is both denatured in accordance with the regulations of an EU Member State and intended for use in the manufacture of products not intended for human consumption.
Strongly denatured spirit is spirit that has been made unfit for consumption. The denaturation approved in Finland for the manufacture of strongly denatured spirits is described below on this page.
An alcoholic preparation is an alcoholic substance, which is not an alcoholic beverage nor a spirit and which may be denatured.
Denaturation
When slightly denatured spirits are manufactured in Finland, denaturants must be used in at least the amount indicated in the list of denaturants approved by the Finnish Government. Valvira may issue more detailed regulations on the amount of denaturants. A legislative amendment to the list is pending.
When strongly denatured spirits are manufactured in Finland, denaturants must be used in accordance with the applicable Commission Implementing Regulation. Denaturants should be such that they do not interfere with the appropriate use of the denatured product.
When slightly denatured spirits are manufactured in Finland, the denaturants must be used in such a way that the finished slightly denatured spirit contains at least one denaturant in the amount indicated in the list of denaturants per 100 litres of ethyl alcohol.
List of denaturants
- denaturant number 1, 0.2 kilograms of menthol
- denaturant number 2, 0.2 kilograms of peppermint oil
- denaturant number 3, 0.7 litres of turpentine
- denaturant number 4, 2 litres of petrol
- denaturant number 5, 3 litres of ethyl acetate
- denaturant number 6, 0.5 kilograms of diethyl phthalate
- denaturant number 7, 3 litres of acetone
- denaturant number 8, 5 litres of ethyl ether
- denaturant number 9, 2 litres of methyl ethyl ketone
- denaturant number 10, 2 litres of cyclohexane
- denaturant number 11, acetone and methyl isobutyl ketone together, so that there is 1 litre of acetone and 1 litre of methyl isobutyl ketone
- denaturant number 12, 3 litres of tertiary butyl alcohol
- denaturant number 13, 3 litres of normal butyl alcohol
- denaturant number 14, 3 litres of isobutyl alcohol
- denaturant number 15, 2 litres of methyl isobutyl ketone
- denaturant number 16, 2 grams of denatonium benzoate
- Valvira may, for a special reason, also approve other denaturants or a method of denaturing if none of the above-mentioned denaturants is suitable for the intended use.
Valvira has approved 6.0 litres of isopropanol and 0.1 litres (100 litres per 100% ethyl alcohol) of butanol (t-, i- or n-butanol) as denaturants only for the manufacture of cosmetics and skin and surface disinfection products as of 24 March 2020.
Denaturing authorised in Finland and 23 Member States of the European Union (the amount of denaturants is calculated in hectolitres per absolute ethanol):
- 1 litre of isopropyl alcohol
- 1 litre of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
- 1 gram of denatonium benzoate
For internal markets, the Member States may add a colouring agent in order to give the product its characteristic colour by which it can be immediately identified. In Finland, there is no requirement to add colour. Exceptions to denaturing for other Member States are set out in the applicable Commission Implementing Regulation.