Is Packaged Drinking Water Safe For Consumption?

The rising cases of water borne disease led consumers to buy packaged drinking water with a belief that it will be safe for them.

- Dr Saurabh Arora

We think that packaged drinking water is safe for consumption. But there have been a plethora of cases where the Bureau of Indian Standards and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) undertook periodic collection of drinking water from the market and found the presence of heavy metals, microbiological organisms and pesticide residue in water. The investigations led to suspension of the unit’s license and heavy penalties too. Amid this what concerns the most is laxity in safety standards at the filling area of packaging units and in several inspections of groundwater which was bottled without any purification or processing and sold at high prices. In several cases packaging units were also running without the mandatory licenses and companies selling water without the BIS certification.

The rising cases of water borne disease led consumers to buy packaged drinking water with a belief that it will be safe for them. Moreover, packaged drinking water has become a necessity especially while traveling. So it is very important that it complies with the regulatory standards and is tested periodically to ensure the safety of consumers as well as the smooth functioning of manufacturers and retailers business.

A GLIMPSE AT FSSAI’S RECENT GUIDELINES;

Recently, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has drawn reference to the direction issued vide File No. SS-M015/1/2022-Standard- FSSAI dated 30.05.2022 operationalizing Draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and

Food Additives) Amendment Regulations w.r.t. the values of Total Dissolved Solids, Calcium and Magnesium.