Better oversight needed for craft alcohol industry, provincial auditor says

The craft alcohol industry is booming in Saskatchewan, but a new report from the provincial auditor is warning that better oversight is needed to ensure safety standards are met.

According to Tara Clemett’s report, craft alcohol sales nearly doubled in 2020-21, making up 4.3 per cent of all sales by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).

But while the craft industry is taking off in a big way, Clemett said quality analysis lab tests aren’t performed as often as they should be.

The SLGA requires craft alcohol producers to submit lab test reports “verifying products are safe for consumption,” but Clemett said many of those reports haven’t been submitted.

For 43 out of 83 product lines, Clemett found the certificates hadn’t been submitted by the required deadline, and the SLGA hadn’t followed up with the producers.

The auditor also said the SLGA needs to be more diligent when it comes to inspections for craft alcohol producers. Clemett found one case where a craft producer had not been inspected in three years.

“Effective regulation of craft alcohol production reduces the risk of the public consuming unsafe alcohol or alcohol inconsistent with labelling,” Clemett said in a statement accompanying her report.

In addition to stepping up lab tests and inspections, Clemett said the SLGA needs to renew craft alcohol permits prior to their expiry, as her audit found four craft producers who were operating without a valid permit.