India Food Ministry fails again in sugar-to-ethanol direct conversion bid

In India, the food ministry has been shot down again—this time by the law ministry—for trying to get permission to produce ethanol directly from sugar juice rather than just from molasses. The food ministry was trying to get the Sugar Control Order changed to allow ethanol production, but as ethanol is not considered an ‘essential commodity’ like sugar is, the law ministry has sent them back to the drawing board.