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IBWA highlights stringent regulation of bottled water by FDA
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has presented testimony to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Energy and Commerce Committee of US House of Representatives, on the regulation of bottled water.
Addressing these issues, IBWA president and CEO Joe Doss said: “Bottled water is comprehensively and stringently regulated in the US at both the federal and state levels, which helps ensure its safety and quality. At the federal level, bottled water is regulated as a packaged food product by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. It must meet FDA’s general food regulations as well as standards of identity, standards of quality, good manufacturing practices and labelling requirements specifically promulgated for bottled water.”
Doss added: “As with other packaged foods and beverages, bottled water must meet FDA’s general food regulations, which include extensive labelling requirements for ingredients; the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor; the product’s net weight; and, if required, nutrition labelling. In addition, FDA has promulgated separate standards of identity (including labelling requirements that identify the type of bottled water), standards of quality, and good manufacturing practices specifically for bottled water.”
To ensure across-the-board bottled water safety, in 1995 the FDA established standard of identity regulations for bottled water, determining uniform definitions for the following bottled water classifications: bottled, drinking, artesian, groundwater, distilled, deionized, reverse osmosis, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring, sterile and well water.
IBWA’s testimony points out: “A bottled water product must meet the appropriate Standard of Identity and bear the required name on its label or it may be deemed misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. If a bottled water product’s source is a municipal water system and it doesn’t meet the FDA Standard of Identity for purified or sterile water, it must indicate the public water system source on the label.”
[A copy of Joe Doss’ written testimony can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word document.](http://www.bottledwater.org/public/2009 Releases/Testimony/IBWAwrittentestimonyJuly809hearing.doc)
Source: IBWA
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