General Standards if Bottled Drinking Water
Federal, state and trade associations – these are three stages on which the bottled water industry is regulated and streamlined, to some extent in USA. United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules, in addition to state and industry standards assure the consumers that the bottled water is regulated, tested and of a standard quality. But, the actuality is contrary to this assurance.
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Federal Regulations
Bottled water, which is declared as a food product by the FDA bottled water companies must be governed by the FDA’s quality standards, standards of identity (labeling regulations) and Good Manufacturing Products.
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Quality Standards
Bottled water products must follow the FDA’s quality standards in section 165.110 (b) of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The reliability of all bottled water products from production stage to consumption stage is ensured by these standards.
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Standards of Identity
FDA’s labeling rules prescribe standards of identity. Standardized explanations for terms viz. “artesian, distilled, drinking, mineral, purified, sparkling and spring” are governed by FDA. Soft drinks such as Seltzer, Soda Water, and House Water are exempted rom these stipulations.
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Good Manufacturing Practices
Bottled water is regulated by both general food GMP and GMPs related to bottled water processing an bottling. Plant and ground maintenance, hygienic upkeep of fixtures and buildings, general sanitation of water supply, plumbing and sewage disposal - are controlled by general food GMPs. Bottled water GMPs prescribe clear indications regarding plant construction and design, sanitary facilities and functions, equipment design and erection, production an process controls, quality control and research, stores and records.
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State Standards
Besides FDA’s comprehensive and detailed regulatory controls, the bottled water industries streamlined by government stipulations also.
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Inspections
Noteworthy commitments of the states are inspecting, sampling, analyzing and approving sources of water.
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Laboratory Certification
Certification of testing labs is on important function of the states. The states conduct surprise checks of plants in addition to annual inspections.
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International Bottled Water Association’s Standards are purely voluntary (IBWA).
Third party Inspection
As a condition of membership, bottlers must accept an annual surprise check of plant, administered by an independent third party organization. This inspection audits quality and testing records, reduce plant operations and checks compliance with FDA quality standards, GMPs and state stipulations.
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IBWA Model Code
IBWA has created a quality assurance scheme incorporating a rigid format off specifications. This model code is tougher than government and federal procedures.
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International Standards
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an international body for the development of internationally recognized standards for food. The WHO, one of the co-sponsors of the CAC has recommended norms and conditions for derivation of standards for all bottled waters. The CAC has formulated the “Codex Standard for Natural and Mineral Water” and a related code of practice.
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Labeling Regulations
According to the FDA, bottled water must be processed, packaged, shipped and stored in a safe and hygienic atmosphere. They should b exactly labeled. They may include the terms “mineral, spring, artesian, well, distilled and purified”. Water bottles from municipal water supplies must be adequately labeled.
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Infant Brands
For the products marketed for infants, accurate labeling is needed. Whether “sterile” or “not sterile”, it should be properly labeled so as to clear the doubts of the buyers.
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