The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) of Uttar Pradesh has instituted a requirement for all manufacturers of packaged drinking and mineral water to obtain Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification. This regulatory measure follows alarming findings from statewide laboratory tests, which indicated that approximately 78 per cent of the water samples collected did not meet quality standards, with 176 samples deemed unsafe for human consumption.

FSDA Commissioner Roshan Jacob issued an immediate directive stating that no new manufacturing unit in the state will receive a food safety licence or registration without first securing a BIS certificate. For the existing 968 manufacturing units, including those operating under central licences, a compliance deadline has been established for March 31, 2027.

Units failing to meet this deadline will face licence suspensions and production halts until they achieve compliance. The decision was prompted by inspections of 811 packaged water manufacturing units over the past year, where 660 samples were collected. Out of these, 176 were classified as unsafe and 337 as substandard, highlighting significant quality concerns that necessitated regulatory action.

Concerns Over Water Quality

Laboratory analyses of the unsafe samples revealed the presence of harmful microorganisms such as E. coli, coliform bacteria, yeast, and mould. These findings raised serious concerns regarding contamination and inadequacies in the manufacturing and water treatment processes employed by various units. Additionally, inspections uncovered deficiencies in infrastructure and hygiene practices across several manufacturing sites.

Some manufacturers were unable to provide source water test reports, and various treatment facilities exhibited shortcomings, including issues with filtration systems, ultraviolet (UV) treatment plants, and ozonation equipment. Manual handling during production was also identified as a potential source of contamination, indicating that quality concerns extended beyond the final product to the processes intended to ensure water safety prior to packaging.

Of the 660 samples tested, 176 were classified as unsafe, while 337 were deemed substandard. It is important to note that these classifications carry different regulatory implications; unsafe samples pose direct health risks, while substandard samples fail to meet one or more quality requirements. Therefore, the combined figure does not imply that all 513 samples presented the same level of health risk.

Impact on Manufacturing Units

The FSDA has taken decisive action by suspending the licences or registrations of 152 manufacturing units following the inspections and laboratory tests. Production at these affected units has been halted pending necessary improvements and compliance with regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the department has recommended the suspension of central licences for 55 units.

This latest directive also extends the compliance framework to manufacturers operating under central licences, ensuring that they adhere to the same certification deadline as local units. The regulatory changes come in the wake of a shift in the framework governing packaged water, which previously mandated ISI certification for the sale of such products.

In October 2024, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) removed the requirement for ISI certification, subsequently categorising packaged water as high-risk food. This regulatory shift led to an increase in the number of packaged drinking water and mineral water manufacturing units in Uttar Pradesh, which now totals 968. The subsequent inspection drive revealed widespread non-compliance, prompting the state to reinstate BIS certification as a prerequisite for both new and existing manufacturing operations.

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