Food Body Declares Packaged Drinking Water, Mineral Water 'High-Risk'

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reclassified packaged drinking water and mineral water as a 'High-Risk Food Category'. In its order, dated November 29, the officials announced that the reclassification is designed to strengthen consumer protection and maintain rigorous quality control in the packaged water industry. The order also states that the move, effective immediately, requires manufacturers to undergo mandatory third-party food safety audits and comply with enhanced quality standards. 

"It is reiterated that all centrally licenced manufacturers under the High-Risk Food Categories shall get its business audited by FSSAI recognised third party food safety auditing agency every year," the order said. "The list of High-Risk Food Categories now also includes Packaged Drinking Water and Mineral Water," it added. 

Food business operators dealing with non-alcoholic beverages, packaged drinking water, and mineral water must now submit to annual inspections. This move is aimed at mitigating potential health risks associated with packaged water production. Food item processors exempt from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification would also be required to undergo inspections before obtaining a license or registration. 

The reclassification also follows recent amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which previously removed mandatory BIS certification requirements for certain food products.

Notably, this comes after the food safety body declassified dairy-based beverage mixes, cereal-based beverage mixes and malt-based beverages from being categorised as health drinks. 

"Energy Drinks - is permitted to be used only on the products licenced under Food Category System (FCS) 14.1.4.1 and 14.1.4.2 (Carbonated and Non-carbonated water-based flavoured drinks), standardized under sub-regulation 2.10.6 (2) of Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011 (Caffeinated Beverage)," the FSSAI said in a press release in April.

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Meanwhile, the FSSAI recently also discussed different types of food contaminants and how to identify each of them. In a post on Instagram, the FSSAI discussed 3 types of food contamination - Physical, chemical and microbiological contamination. 

Physical contamination occurs when a physical object enters the food during production or preparation. Chemical contamination happens when the food comes into contact with toxic chemicals, leading to potential chemical food poisoning. Biological or microbiological contamination occurs when food becomes contaminated by living organisms or the substances they produce.