The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India or FSSAI has decided to classify packaged drinking and mineral waters as high-risk food category, which means they will now be subject to mandatory inspection and third-party audit.

The change follows the central government’s October decision to remove the certification requirement Indian Standards Bureau (BIS) for these products. Under the new rule, all packaged drinking and mineral water manufacturers will now face annual, risk-based inspections. According to FSSAI, the move is aimed at improving the safety and quality standards of products for consumers.

FSSAI said in its order, “Consequent to the lapse of mandatory Indian Bureau of Certification for certain products, it has been decided that ‘Packaged Drinking Water and Mineral Water’ will be considered under ‘High Risk Food Categories’.”

“It is reiterated that all centrally licensed manufacturers under high-risk food categories will have to get their business audited annually by a FSSAI-accredited third-party food safety auditing agency. Packaged drinking water will now be included in the list of high-risk food categories. And minerals are also included,” the order said.

What does high risk food mean?

According to experts, high-risk foods are defined as ready-to-eat foods that support the growth of bacteria. These types of foods should be handled with care and kept separate from raw foods.

Doctors say poor food hygiene can lead to serious consequences like incidents of food poisoning or even death. It can also lead to business and financial consequences such as customer complaints, brand damage, fines and legal action. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest to maintain the highest standards of food safety. High-risk foods, in particular, have been implicated in food poisoning outbreaks, so follow proper methods to ensure they are safe to eat.

Ways to avoid contamination

Experts say that apart from water – which usually contains bacterial, fungal and chemical invasion – even foods like meat, chicken and even vegetables come under high-risk foods. There are several steps you should take when handling high-risk foods, including:

Keep all food separate.

Keep them refrigerated and avoid leaving them at room temperature.

Keep food-contact surfaces clean.

Wash hands regularly.

Do not refreeze food that has already been defrosted.

Foods that support the multiplication of bacteria require strict temperature control as well as effective protection from contamination, especially from raw foods such as meat, poultry and fish.

With increasing concerns in recent times, packaged drinking water has become one of the major concerns in India, especially due to the rapidly growing market. bottled waterTherefore, regulatory bodies need to be more alert and serious about the issues in this particular sector.

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