New Packaged Drinking Water Guidelines from the FSSAI

For our bodies to work properly, we need water. An average person needs at least 4 liters of water each day, but with increasing water contamination, it is getting harder to trust that the water is safe. To guarantee that packaged drinking water sold on the market is safe to use, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently announced new recommendations for packaged drinking water manufacturers to adhere to.

Also, Read- fssai license

Companies must now use “Packaged Drinking Water” instead of “Packaged Natural Drinking Water” in accordance with the new laws. Consumers are unlikely to drink natural mineral water, according to officials. The company’s selected brand name should be used to package and market the water.

According to recent FSSAI changes, drinking water can also be obtained from a variety of sources, including local water supplies, surface water, subterranean water, the sea, or any other trustworthy source of water. However, before putting drinking water on the market, manufacturers must take the actions listed below. By enforcing these rules, it would be guaranteed that the water produced is completely safe to drink and won’t harm anyone.

The New Packaged Drinking Water Guidelines from the FSSAI are as follows:

Any source of water must undergo a conventional treatment process, which includes the following steps:

• The procedure of separating the liquid from the solid is referred to as decanting (The process to remove undesired liquid from the precipitate)

• Filtration is a technique for separating particles from fluids (liquids or gases). It involves introducing a medium through which only the fluid may flow (liquids or gases).

• Additionally to the filtration system,

• filters’ cartridges (are effective ways of removing sediment and physical contaminants from water)

• Water pollutants can be removed using activated carbon filtration (a process to remove organic constituents and residual disinfectants from water),

• Filtration techniques include aerification (the process of combining air and liquid), membrane filtration, and cartridge filtration (which are effective ways of removing sediment and physical contaminants from water)
• Water pollutants can be removed using activated carbon filtration (a process to remove organic constituents and residual disinfectants from water).

We may conclude that packaged water is completely safe because it has through both physical and chemical cleaning processes. This would demonstrate that the water contains a safe level of bacteria for human consumption.

• To get rid of the salt ions, seawater needs to be desalinated.

• After treatment, the water needs to be packaged in bottles before being consumed. Additionally, further treatment is to be avoided.

• If remineralization is employed in the water treatment process, then only permitted minerals in high-quality grade/pharma water may be used.

The updated rules also provide upper limits for water-borne microorganisms and minimum standards for human-harming pathogens. The microbes include Salmonella Typhi, Sulphate Reducing Anaerobes, Salmonella, and Shigella, as well as Escherichia coli (or RMO tolerant bacteria), yeast, mold, Faecal Streptococci, and Staphylococcus aureus, Coliform bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholera, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

To ensure that businesses are adhering to established laws and regulations, authorities may do a surprise audit. The FSSAI would provide a legitimate license following testing, quality checking, and validation of each element in the packaged drinking water. Customers would be persuaded by this that they could drink the water without being concerned about pollution.

Packaging and Labeling Guidelines of the FSSAI:

• To pack the water, only clear, sanitary, colorless, clean, and tamper-proof bottles should be used.

• When using packing bottles, the standards for food-grade plastic bottles should be adhered to.

• The color migration limits test has to be successful for bottles that will be packaged.

• The phrase “NATURAL MINERAL WATER” must be stated on the label for mineral water in accordance with the FSS (Packaging & Labeling) Regulations, 2011.

• Every packed bottle must bear the following warning: “Crush bottles after use.”

How to Obtain a Central FSSAI License for Packaged Drinking Water and a State License

• On the FSSAI Registration website, complete the application form A.

• Pay the FSSAI application fee at your neighborhood food company operating office.

• Once payment has been received and submitted to the FSSAI website, Form B must be filled out by the FBO. Different declarations and resolutions must be completed on the form.

• Send in your application, then check-up with the relevant parties to see how things stand.