Regulating Production and Sale of Bottled Water
Bureau of Indian Standards has formulated Indian Standard IS 14543 for Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) and IS 13428 for Packaged Natural Mineral Water (PNMW) which specifies the quality parameters for the respective water sold in packaged form. The above mentioned Indian Standards are under mandatory BIS certification as per Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition & Restriction on sales) (Amendment) Regulation 2011. As per this regulation, "No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale, Natural Mineral Water and Packaged Drinking water, except under the BIS Standard Mark". This information was given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Prof. K.V. Thomas in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Prof Thomas said that BIS ensures compliance of the standards of Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) as well as Packaged Natural Mineral Water (PNMW) manufactured by its licensees through a well defined certification scheme wherein regular surveillance is done of the licensees by factory inspections and drawing of samples from factory & market and their independent testing to check the conformity of the product to relevant Indian Standards (IS 14543 & IS 13428). If such licensees are found not meeting the parameters prescribed in the relevant Indian Standards, actions like warning/stop marking/ expiry of licence/ cancellation of licence are taken. Such actions depend on the seriousness of default and/or frequency of recurrence of failures or unsatisfactory operation of the licence.
The implementation of FSS Act/Rule/Regulation rests with the State Government/Union Territories. Accordingly, samples are drawn by State/UT Government and action is taken against the offenders, in case where sample are found to be non conforming.
*****
NCJ