Revised bottled water standard launched by NSAI
Reflecting recent changes in European and national legislation, a new safety standard for bottled safety has been introduced.
Print13 July 2010
The NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland), in conjunction with the FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland), launched a revised standard for bottled (or packaged) water to reflect recent changes in European and national legislation on food hygiene and traceability requirements on 7 July. The revised standard provides manufacturers of bottled water with specific requirements to assure the safety of bottled water for the consumer with guidelines on the development and management of suitable sources for the three classes of packaged groundwater namely, natural mineral water, spring water or other groundwater.
Speaking at the launch of the revised standard, Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI, said: “The Irish consumer spends more than €190 million on 180 million litres of bottled water annually. Packagers of natural mineral water products are very aware of the importance of a good source of ground water and it is crucial they ensure that the source of that water does not become contaminated in any way. This standard provides guidance on how to protect a ground water source during its development and use and will assist industry in ensuring consistent safety and quality for the consumer.”
The standard, I.S. 432:2010 Packaged Groundwater, was prepared by the specialist working group of the Food Industry Standards Committee of NSAI, the FSAI, the Bottled Water Association (an association within the Beverage Council of Ireland) and the HSE. The types of permitted treatment, the quality criteria and the labelling requirements for the three classes of groundwater are specified in the revised standard.
Prof Alan Reilly, CEO, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, said “The FSAI welcomes the revisions to this standard. The revised standard will be of great benefit to producers of bottled water, as the scope has been extended to cover not just the protection and management of the water source, but it also covers all the hygiene, process control and traceability requirements.”
There are 26 packagers of ground water in Ireland and currently four products have been assessed by NSAI against the requirements of the standard. This standard will be notified to the European Commission as a recognised guide to good practice in Ireland and the FSAI will be recommending it to the industry.
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