Tuzemák will survive for another five-year period, as European Union regulators gave the Czech Republic and Slovakia an exception to a ban on one of its ingredients. Tuzemák, which was sold simply as rum until the Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004, has been under fire because one of its flavor additives, rum ether, has been linked to cancer. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in August 2017 said certain substances in rum ether pose a health risk. Rum ether is also used in the production of some non-alcoholic beverages and baked goods. The exemption only applies to tuzemák.
