packaged waters

, other than natural mineral waters, are waters packaged or bottled for human consumption and may contain minerals, naturally occurring or intentionally added; may contain carbon dioxide, naturally occurring or intentionally added; but shall not contain sugars, sweeteners, flavourings or other foodstuffs; and

prepared waters

are packaged waters that may originate from any type of water supply.

Packaged waters that are “Waters defined by origin”, whether they come from the underground or from the surface, share the following characteristics—

• (a)they originate from specific environmental resources without passing through a community water system;
• (b)precautions have been taken within the vulnerability perimeters to avoid any pollution of, or external influence on, the chemical, microbiological and physical qualities of water at origin;
• (c)collecting conditions which guarantee the original microbiological purity and essential elements of their chemical make-up at origin; and
• (d)are constantly fit for human consumption at source.

• (a)no packaged water shall contain substances or emit radioactivity in quantities that may be injurious to health. To this effect, all packaged water shall comply with the maximum contaminant levels prescribed in the Bottled Water Standard 2004, established as a mandatory standard under the Trade Standards and Quality Control Act 1992;
• (b)all packaged water shall comply with the microbiological criteria specified in Schedule 12 of these Regulations;
• (c)any addition of minerals to water before packaging shall comply with the provisions in the Codex General Standard on Food Additives (STAN 192-1995. Rev. 1-1997) and its revisions;
• (d)when prepared water is supplied by a public or private tap water distribution system and subsequently packaged, but has not undergone further treatment that would modify its original composition or to which carbon dioxide or fluoride have been added, the wording “From a public or private distribution system” shall appear on the label;
• (e)no claims concerning medicinal (preventive, alleviative or curative) effects shall be made in respect of the properties of the product covered by this Standard. Claims of other beneficial effects related to the health of the consumer shall not be made unless true and not misleading;
• (f)the use of any statement or of any pictorial device which may create confusion in the mind of the public or in any way mislead the public about the nature, origin, composition and properties of packaged waters put on sale is prohibited.

• (a)waters defined by origin shall not, prior to packaging, be modified or subjected to treatments other than those described in the Codex Standard with the proviso that these modifications or treatments and the processes used to achieve them do not change the essential physicochemical characteristics nor compromise the chemical, radiological and microbiological safety of these waters when packaged;
• (b)antimicrobial treatments may be used singly or in combination solely in order to conserve the original microbiological fitness for human consumption, original purity and safety of waters defined by origin;
• (c)any water labelled “spring” in any manner that might leave the consumer with the impression that the water's origin is a natural spring, when it is not from such a source shall not be permitted;
• (d)the name given to packaged water defined by origin shall not be misleading to consumers as to the origin of the water;
• (e)only waters defined by origin can be represented by names that refer to the origin or give an impression of specific origin.

• (a)The food business operator shall implement a documented food safety plan based upon good hygienic practices and HACCP principles and this plan shall be being actively implemented and subject to auditing by December 2010. After that date an operational and approved food safety plan shall be required for any packaged water processing premises to be licensed under this Act and its regulations;
• (b)All possible precautions shall be taken to avoid any pollution of, or external influence on, the quality of the water source;
• (c)Disposal of liquid, solid or gaseous waste that could pollute ground or surface water shall be controlled. Disposal of pollutants such as micro-organisms, fertilisers, hydrocarbons, detergents, pesticides, phenolic compounds, toxic metals, radioactive substances and other soluble organic and inorganic substances in the watershed shall be avoided;
• (d)Drinking water resources shall not be in the path of potential sources of underground contamination, such as sewers, septic tanks, industrial waste ponds, gas or chemical tanks, pipelines and solid waste disposal sites;
• (e)Water supplies shall be tested by food business operators regularly for constancy of biological (including microbial), chemical, physical and, where necessary, radiological characteristics. The frequency of testing shall be adequate to ensure the safety of the water supplies and shall be prescribed in the food safety plan;
• (f)If contamination is detected, production of bottled water shall cease until the water characteristics have returned to established parameters;
• (g)Any water source shall be approved as prescribed in the Bottled Water Standard 2004, established as a mandatory standard under the Trade Standards and Quality Control Act 1992;
• (h)The extraction or collection of water intended for bottling shall be conducted in such a manner as to prevent other than the intended water from entering the extraction or collection device. The extraction or collection of water intended for bottling shall also be conducted in a hygienic manner to prevent any contamination. Where sampling points are necessary, they shall be designed and operated to prevent any contamination of the water;
• (i)The immediate surroundings of the extraction or collection area shall be protected by limiting access to only authorised persons. Wellheads and spring outflows shall be protected by a suitable structure to prevent entry by unauthorised individuals, pests, dust and other sources of contamination such as extraneous matter, drainage, floodwaters, and infiltration water;
• (j)Methods and procedures for maintaining the extraction facilities shall be hygienic. They shall not be a potential hazard to humans or a source of contamination for the water;
• (k)Wells shall be properly disinfected following construction and development of new wells nearby, after pump repair or replacement, or any well maintenance activity such as testing for and finding indicator organisms, pathogens, or abnormal plate counts in the water, and whenever biological growth inhibits proper operation;
• (l)Water collection chambers shall be disinfected within a reasonable time before use;
• (m)Extraction devices such as those used for bore holes shall be constructed and maintained in a manner that avoids contamination of the water and minimises hazards to human health;
• (n)When storage and transport of the water intended for bottling from the point of origin to the processing plant is necessary, these operations shall be conducted in a hygienic manner to prevent any contamination;
• (o)Where or when they are necessary, bulk containers and conveyances such as tanks, pipings and tanker trucks shall be designed and constructed so that they—
  • (i)do not contaminate the water intended for bottling;
  • (ii)can be effectively cleaned and disinfected;
  • (iii)provide effective protection from contamination, including dust and fumes; and
  • (iv)allow any situation that arises to be checked easily.
• (p)Means of transport of water intended for bottling shall be kept in an appropriate state of cleanliness, repair and condition. Containers and conveyances, particularly in bulk transport, shall preferably be used only for transporting water intended for bottling. When this cannot be achieved, conveyances and bulk containers shall be used exclusively for food transportation and shall be cleaned and disinfected as necessary to prevent contamination;
• (q)In those areas of the processing establishment where containers are exposed to the external environment (ie, on the loading dock), especially prior to filling and sealing, specific preventive measures shall be incorporated into the facility's design to avoid contamination of the containers used for bottled water;
• (r)No waters intended for bottling shall be accepted by an establishment if it is known to contain pathogens or excessive residues of pesticides or other toxic substances;
• (s)Water intended for bottling shall be such (ie microbiologically, chemically, physically, and radiologically), that treatment if necessary (including multiple barrier treatments such as combination of filtration, chemical disinfection, etc) of that water during processing results in finished bottled drinking water products that are safe and suitable for consumption;
• (t)Bottling operations (ie filling and sealing of containers) shall be conducted in a manner that protects against contamination. Control measures include the use of an enclosed area and a containment enclosed system separate from other operations of the processing plant to protect against contamination. Dust, dirt, micro-organisms in the air, and condensation shall be controlled and monitored;
• (u)Reusable containers shall not have been used for any purpose that may lead to contamination of the product and shall be individually inspected for suitability. New containers shall be inspected and, if necessary, cleaned and disinfected;
• (v)Closures are generally supplied in a ready to use state and shall be tamper resistant; they are not reusable.