FSSAI Reclassifies Packaged Drinking Water As High-Risk, Mandates Stricter Checks

The decision follows a government order to do away with the mandatory condition to obtain BIS certification for the packaged drinking and mineral water industry.

New Delhi:The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has included packaged drinking and mineral water under the “High-Risk Food Category” segment and subjected it to mandatory inspection and third-party audit norms.

The reclassification is designed to strengthen consumer protection and maintain rigorous quality control in the packaged water industry. The decision follows a government order issued in October to do away with the mandatory condition to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the packaged drinking and mineral water industry.

“As a consequence of the omission of the mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for certain products, it has been decided that ‘Packaged Drinking Water and Mineral Water’ will be treated under ‘High-Risk Food Categories. It is to be noted that other food products for which BIS certification was mandatory are already identified as high-risk categories under FSSAI’s risk-based inspection scheduling policy,” the FSSAI order in possession of ETV Bharat said.

Food products that come under the “High Risk” category are subjected to mandatory risk-based inspections. The inspection of manufacturers or processors of food categories, for which the mandatory BIS certification requirement has been removed, will now be required before the grant of a license or registration.

“Inspection of manufacturers and processors for the food products is mandatory before grant of license or registration. Manufacturers of packaged drinking water and mineral water will undergo risk-based inspection once every year. They will also undergo inspection before the grant of a license or registration,” the order said.

It is reiterated that all centrally licensed manufacturers under high-risk food categories shall get their businesses audited annually by an FSSAI-recognised third-party food safety auditing agency. The list of high-risk food categories now also includes non-alcoholic “soft” beverages- packaged drinking water and mineral water,” the food safety authority’s order added.

An earlier order issued by FSSAI has said that an inspection plan has been framed, based on risk associated with the food business to enable the authorities to carry out the mandatory inspections of the premises of the food business operators (FBOs) ensuring the safety of high-risk food categories in a more systematic and intensive manner.

“There is also a provision for examination from the inspection based on the score of a third party audit or hygiene rating scheme as applicable,” the FSSAI said.

The other food items which have been included under high-risk categories are dairy products and analogues, meat and meat products including poultry, fish and fish products including molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms, eggs and egg products, foodstuff intended for particular nutritional uses, prepared foods, Indian sweets, nutrients and their preparations.