FSSAI License

Packaged Drinking Water Business In India

calendar01 Jun, 2020
timeReading Time: 5 Minutes
Packaged Drinking Water Business in India

The growth of the packaged drinking water business in India is due to the increasing health issues in today’s time and scarcity of clean drinking water as well. Nowadays, most of the people are advancing towards the use of packaged drinking water, and thus, the packaged drinking water business in India has got the wings to fly high.

Applicability of FSSAI license is for packaged drinking water of all types. Recently, the apex regulatory body, FSSAI, has started working actively in order to ensure that all food business operators selling packaged drinking water must comply with FSSAI guidelines and should have the license for carrying out the packaged drinking water business in India.

All the living beings on this planet have the right to get access to drinking water. Despite being the most healing element on this earth, water should be potable and fit for drinking. The pureness of the water is a question mark due to the disturbances in environmental factors. However, the rise of packaged water drinking business has given hope to people that they will be getting filtered and mineral mix water for drinking before final packaging.

The human body needs 4-7 liters of water on a daily basis for getting rid of the problem of dehydration and for the proper functioning of the body system. FSSAI has issued an advisory few months back, and we will throw light on the points covered under the advisory in the latest updates section of this blog. This blog will let you know about the FSSAI license compliance and other FSSAI guidelines concerning packaged drinking water business in India.

FSSAI License for Packaged Drinking Water Business in India

  • Basic License– If your annual turnover is not exceeding Rs 12 lakh per year
  • State License– If your yearly turnover is above Rs 12 lakh but not exceeding more than Rs 20 crore
  • Central License– If your annual turnover is exceeding the Rs 20 crore figure

What must be the Water Source for Packaged Drinking Water?

As per the FSSAI guidelines, water must get derived from the sources mentioned in the form of a diagram given below.

Water Source for Packaged Drinking Water

FSSAI Standards Regarding Packaged Drinking Water Business in India

It is the responsibility of the manufacturers to get well-versed with the FSSAI license and standards to make things clear that water is fit for direct human consumption and won’t be causing any health complications. Food business operators or Business owners who are engaged in the packaged drinking water business in India must grasp the following FSSAI standards- 

  • The packagers should ensure that with the help of chemical agents or some physical methods, the packaged water gets thoroughly purified and disinfected; keeping in mind that microorganism’s level must be below the food safety level acceptable by scientists.
  • It’s necessary to increase the usage of sealed containers having several compositions, forms along with capacities that must be appropriate in all the ways for direct consumption.
  • The packaged water must go through specific treatment like aerations, decantation, re-mineralization, demineralization, filtration, and filtration by using membrane filter, cartridge filter, depth filter, reverse osmosis, a combination of filtration, etc.
  • It should get desalinized in the case of seawater before it would get the treatments, as mentioned above.
  • When the water meet-with the remineralization process, the ingredients used in the water should be in accordance with pharma-grade and food-grade quality.

Packaged Drinking Water must be Free from Microorganisms

The packaged drinking water needs to be free from these microorganisms

Microorganisms free from waters

Complying with the FSSAI Parameters

As FSSAI has directed specific parameters, it is vital for all the manufacturers in this packaged drinking water business in India to follow the parameters stated below-

  • Organoleptic as well as physical parameters
  • Parameters in relation to the toxic substance
  • Parameters with respect to pesticide residues
  • Parameters in connection with radioactive residues
  • General parameters in relation to undesirable elements in unnecessary more massive amounts

Read our article:FSSAI License for Transporters in India: An Elaborative Overview

Packaging Requirements for Packaged Drinking Water

Packaged drinking water must conform to the following ISI standards-

Materials Used ISI Standards
Polypropylene IS: 10910
Polyvinylchloride             IS: 10151
Polyethylene IS: 10146
Poly- alkylene terephthalate(PET & PBT) IS: 12252

Requisites related to Labeling on the Packages     

Drinking water packages must have the following labelling inscribed on them-

  • “Natural Mineral Water”
  • “Crush The Bottle After Use”
  • “Packaged Drinking Water”
  • “Best Before The Manufacturing Date”

The bottle/container should exhibit the following points-

  • Manufacturing Date
  • M.R.P
  • FSSAI License no. of both Marketing Agency as well as Manufacturer
  • Date of Expiry

Provisions for Labelling

  • The locality name, hamlet name, or name of a specific place may not be a part of a trade name till the time it refers to packaged water for drinking collected at a site indicated by the trade name.
  • No claims with regard to preventive, curative as well as alleviative medicinal effects should be made in relation to the product properties covered by the standard claims related to the consumer health must not be made.
  • Using any picture or any state may fill the minds of the public with loads of confusion or can also deceive the public about the composition, nature, properties as well as the origin of such waters.

FSSAI on Packaged Drinking Water Business in India- Latest Updates

  • Through an advisory issued last year, FSSAI has clarified in the advisory that BIS Mark and FSSAI License both are mandatory for manufacturing as well as selling of packaged drinking water and natural mineral water.
  • In the advisory, FSSAI has mentioned that most of the packaged or natural drinking water manufacturers are carrying out their business either without a BIS certification mark or License or without FSSAI License.
  • In order to sell manufacture or display for sale mineral water and packaged drinking water, BIS certification must get obtained by the manufacturers or packagers.
  • As given in the FSS Packaging and Labelling Regulations, 2011, the nomenclature of the product needs to be natural mineral water or packaged drinking water.
  • As mentioned in the FSS Advertising and Claims Regulations 2018, Use of fancy names and even abbreviation of such products is not acceptable.
  • FSSAI has given the instructions to Food Safety Commissioners of States[1] to unveil directions to DOs/FSOs to perform surveillance activities in their respective jurisdiction areas to keep a regular check on compliances by those manufacturers that are engaged in manufacturing packaged drinking water and take necessary actions at odds with the defaulters as per the provisions of FSS Act, 2006.
  • In recent times, FSSAI has stated that importers having an FSSAI license shall import packaged drinking water from those foreign manufacturers who have acquired BIS certification. In regulations, it is asserted that packaged drinking water along with mineral water must have both FSSAI License and BIS Certification mark on the labels.

Take Away

If you are planning to undertake a packaged drinking water business in India, you must acquire BIS Certification along with FSSAI License. All the documents are mandatory for the smooth running of the packaged drinking water business in India. Those food businesses that are engaged in the import of packaged drinking water and mineral water should be in consonance with BIS certification and FSS Regulations, 2011. We, at Corpbiz, would be happy to help you in getting the FSSAI License and would make things more convenient for you.

Read our article:A Brief Take on FSSAI Standards for Alcoholic Beverages

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