FSSAI License for Packaged Drinking Water

In our country, packaged drinking water business covers a huge share of the market, as potable water free from chemicals or any other harmful substances is not easily available everywhere. Due to this reason consumers are spending speedily on such packaged drinking water which is easily available and also is safe for consumption. Therefore, FSSAI has made it mandatory to obtain a license before carrying out the business of packaged drinking water.

Packaged drinking water is obtained from surface water/underground water/seawater which undergoes treatments such as decantation, filtration, aerations, etc. After which it is packed in such a way that it shall not lead to contamination of any sort in such water meant for drinking.

FSSAI has provided for various conditions that the operator of Packaged Drinking Water Business must comply with to ensure that proper safety measures are followed to avoid danger in regards to the health of the citizens.

Certain Conditions as prescribed by FSSAI for Packaged Drinking Water:

FSS Packaging Regulations provide that packaged drinking water must be packed in:

• Colorless, transparent, and tamper-proof bottles or 
• Containers made of polyethylene (pe) conform to are: 10146 or 
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conforming to is: 10151 or polyalkylene terephthalate (pet and PBT) conforming to is: 12252 or 
• Polypropylene (pp) conforming to is: 10910 or 
• Food grade polycarbonate conforming to is: 14971 or 
• Polystyrene conforming to is: 10142 or 
• Sterile glass bottles only. 

It also specifies that the transparency of a container must be 85 percent minimum in light transmittance.

Labeling conditions for packaged drinking water are:

• Claims relating to medicinal effects (preventative/alleviative/curative) must not be made in respect of the properties of the product covered by the standard. 
• Claims providing beneficial effects related to consumer health must not be made.
• Locality name or specified place may not form part of the trade name 
• (unless it refers to packaged water collected at such a designated place)
• No statement or pictorial presentation must be made which may misguide the public about the nature, origin, or any other related properties of such product.

The Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations state that the number of samples to be sent for analysis shall be 4000ml in three minimum original sealed packs for Packaged Drinking Water 4000ml.

Businesses dealing in Packaged Drinking Water are mandatorily required to attach a Pesticide Resilience Report of Water to be used as an ingredient from a recognized or public health laboratory specifying the name of an authorized representative who collected the sample while filing the application for State License/Central Licensing Authority.

Class of Licenses:

The business operator of Packaged Drinking Water can obtain an FSSAI license in the following 3 ways:

Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) have also provided for the mandatory requirement of calcium and magnesium in packaged drinking water 

• Requirement of calcium to be 20-75 mg/liter and 
• Requirement of magnesium in the range of 10-30 mg/liter

Any business operator dealing in packaged drinking water must ensure that he has understood and followed all the conditions as prescribed by the concerned authorities both before and after commencement of business operations.