After cracking a whip against adulterators of milk and milk products, Punjab’s food safety teams have set target on the non-BIS approved drinking water manufacturers and sellers in the state.
Issuing a word of caution, the state’s Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu asked them to mend their ways and abide by the rules and regulations or get ready to face the legal action.
“Nobody will be permitted to flout the norms and play with the health of people,” said Pannu.
Pannu said that the special area of thrust in the upcoming raids would be on inspecting non-BIS approved manufacturers or sellers and taking necessary action under the law against such units.
He said that the ongoing inspections by food safety teams has brought to the fore that certain unscrupulous elements are engaged in the sale of uncertified packaged drinking water.
“It is shocking to see that in a cultural set up wherein people organise chabeels to serve the thirsty, therein corrupt elements are ‘serving’ or selling unsafe water under the garb of packaged drinking water,” he said.
As per the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulations, no person can manufacture or sell packaged drinking water without ISI certification. As per the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation-2011, “No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale packaged drinking water or mineral water except under the Bureau of Indian Standards certification mark”, he pointed.
“But, it has been observed that various persons or firms are supplying or selling packaged water in 200 ml cups, one litre bottles, 15-25 litre packaging by using many misleading representations on the packaged water such as herbal water, aroma water, vitamin water, etc or simply as packaged drinking water without BIS certification or with fake certification,” said Pannu.
He added that as per the provisions of the law, no person can sell any kind of drinking water without BIS certification as also without FSSAI license or certification.
These unscrupulous packaged water units, which do not have BIS certification and FSSAI certification or license, are selling packaged drinking water to bulk consumers such as caterers for use in marriage and other social functions.