Packaged Drinking Water Now Labeled High-Risk Food by FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has classified packaged drinking water and mineral water as high-risk food items. This decision aims to improve the safety and quality of water sold in bottles and protect public health.

What This Means:

Many people trust packaged drinking water to be pure and safe. However, FSSAI’s new classification highlights potential risks with these products. To ensure safety, stricter rules have been introduced:

• Mandatory Inspections: All manufacturers of packaged and mineral water must undergo regular checks.
• Annual Audits: Companies must pass third-party food safety audits every year.
• FSSAI Certification: All producers and distributors must have an FSSAI certification to operate.

This decision follows the removal of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification requirement for the packaged water industry. The new rules aim to ensure customers get safe and genuine drinking water.

Impact on Consumers:

The government’s goal is to provide access to clean, high-quality drinking water while stopping the sale of substandard products. These changes will:

• Hold companies accountable for the water they sell.
• Improve the overall quality of packaged water.
• Protect public health by ensuring the water is safe and reliable.

These steps are expected to raise industry standards and make sure that customers can trust the water they consume.