Question : QUALITY OF MINERAL WATER

(a) the number of companies engaged in manufacture and sale of bottled mineral water in the country, State-wise;

(b) whether several instances of use of substandard machines for purification and manufacture and sales of poor quality/fake mineral water have been reported recently;

(c) if so, the details thereof indicating the number of cases reported and persons held responsible for the same;

(d) the action taken against companies and persons held responsible;

(e) whether the Government proposes to raise quality benchmark for packaged mineral water;

(f) if so, the details thereof; and

(g) the mechanism in place to monitor/regulate the manufacture and sale of packaged water?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K. V. THOMAS)

(a) : There are 17 companies in India (Himachal Pradesh 12, Uttar Pradesh 1, Uttrakhand 3 and Gujarat 1) which have been given BIS license for using Standard Mark on Packaged Natural Mineral Water.

(b) to (d): There is no information regarding use of substandard machines for purification, manufacture and sale of mineral water. However, Government of NCT of Delhi have conducted raids and five illegal units manufacturing packaged drinking water without Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification have been sealed under section 133 Cr. PC.

(e) to (f): Bureau of Indian Standards has published an Indian Standard on “Packaged Natural Mineral Water – Specification” (Second Revision) (IS 13428:2005). The Standard is subject to change, review and amendments as and when decided by the concerned technical committee. Three Amendments have already been made to the standard.

(g) : Standards of Packaged Water have been prescribed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Rules, 1955. To regulate the quality control of Packaged Water, a mandatory provision is in existence that no person shall manufacture for sale, sell or exhibit for sale Packaged Drinking Water and Packaged Natural Mineral Water except under Bureau of Indian Standards Certification Mark. The implementation of the PFA Act and Rules framed thereunder is the responsibility of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations that take action in case of violations thereof. BIS also undertakes periodic surveillance inspection and testing of samples from the market for maintaining the quality of the products of its licensees as per the prescribed Indian Standard.