All You Need to Know About FSSAI Allows Bromates in Drinking Water

FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water as per Section 31 of the Food and Safety Standard Act to operate a drinking water business in India but to run a business like the packaging of drinking water you need to acquire an FSSAI License because the packaged drinking water also a part of food products, so the operator must follow all the FSSAI standards to get the license.

WHO or World Health Organization suggested that bromates should not be present in any packed drinking water. Many countries allow bromates in drinking water to a minimum level based on the standards set earlier. As per the report announced in the Economic Times, after checking 5842 plus water packaging units in India, which are legally registered under but there are only 1495 water packaging units which have both FSSAI License and BIS Certification on the other hand remaining units have only BIS Certification they don’t have FSSAI License. Further, in this article, we are going to know about FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water.

Various Sources of Water for Water Packaging Companies

There are various sources of water which are specified or suggested by the Department of FSSAI that a water company can originate the water from:

• Seawater.
• Surface water.
• Underground Water.
• Civic water supply or any other reliable source of water.

Also, Read: FSSAI License for Energy Drinks in India

How FSSAI allows Bromates in Drinking Water?

The Department of FSSAI is certified to work on food-related business or activities. In 2016, FSSAI announced a proposal of bromate for ten micrograms per liter of theoretically cancer-causing polluted water which is under control with best global practices. FSSAI has mentioned in a written statement that the proposal of bromate in drinking water is a draft and it will be finalized once they receive any input from the members of the companies.

Earlier, the usage of bromates was not allowed in any packaged drinking water in India at the time of the bromate proposal offered by the FSSAI. FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water in the public domain for thirty days for feedback.

FSSAI Standards for Drinking Water in India

Once the FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water, then the plant of packaged drinking water must follow all the FSSAI Standards for packaged drinking water, as mentioned below:

• Drinking water needs a specific treatment like radiation, filtration membrane filter, decantation, etc., and this will help in purifying drinking water.
• Packers should ensure that all the packaged drinking water is carefully cleaned by using chemical agents so that the microorganisms’ level is under logically accepted levels for food safety.
• In case the plant of packaged drinking water is using the seawater, then it must be desalinized before it is going for various treatments as we mentioned above.
• The packaged drinking water company has taken a look at the FSSAI License and standards to confirm that these companies’ supply of drinking water follows these standards not to harm any customers.
• There is a list of several requirements that every water company should follow, which contains various treatments such as filtration, aerations, filtration, depth filter, activated carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, demineralization, remineralization, etc.
• There are many food pharma-grade qualities which have to matchup by the ingredients during the remineralization.
• These sealed bottles or container must be in specified form, capacities that should be suitable for direct human consumption.

FSSAI Standards for Packaged Drinking Water Layout

All the packaged drinking water manufacturer in India must follow all the microbiological standards for water. To maintain with the FSSAI Standards, a package containing the 250 ml of drinking water that has to be a fee from the following:

• Thermotolerant Bacteria.
• Coliform Bacteria.
• Mould & Yeast.
• Salmonella Typhi.
• Pseudomonas Aeruginosin.
• Vibrio cholera.
• Sulfate Reducing Anaerobes.
• Fecal Streptococci.
• Staphylococcus aureus.
• Shigella and Salmonella.

Other than these standards, the manufacturer must take care for the following parameters, which is stated by the FSSAI, and you can check the same from below:

• Parameters of Physical and organoleptic.
• Parameters for radioactive residues.
• Parameters for the toxic substance.
• Normal parameters regarding all the substances that are nor desirable in more than required amount.
• Parameters for pesticide.

Current Notification Regarding the Packaged Drinking Water: FSSAI Allows Bromates in Drinking Water

There is a complaint raised by the individual group to question whether packaged drinking water is safe for human consumption or not? The department of Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has to check this matter and to try to find the reasons behind the following adulteration:

• The committee formed at BARC has been observing the matter and trying their best to find the truth behind peoples’ accusations against the packaged drinking water.
• As per the officials from (Western Zone) the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India, FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water but within limitations and the limitations on the usage of bromates in the drinking water is up to ten milligrams per liter, as per the prescribed WHO standards.
• As per the report circulated by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center or BARC, around 10.7 milligrams per liter of bromate has been found in the drinking water in Mumbai. As researchers have said that there are health risks which are caused by the bromate, chloratre, and chlorite present in drinking water.
• However, FSSAI has announced the proper guidelines and having various water samples to test the presence of harmful chemicals.
• As per the scientists, if the bromate is present in packaged drinking water, then there is a requirement to bring a modification in the practice of filtration or completely ban if needed.
• Suppose you are running a packaging drinking water business. In that case, you must remember that the potassium bromate which was used a disinfectant is already banned from using in the food or water manufacturing practices all around the globe.
• Potassium Bromate, which is reflected as the primary reason in the adulteration of the packaged drinking water, was already banned in the baking bread in 2016.

Conclusion

As you already know, India has many natural resources, but today, the country faces a shortage of water and health issues in its complete development. Countries’ drawbacks lack access to safe drinking water affordable healthcare and sustainable system, and sanitation practices. FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water and defends the bromate proposal by making that bromate as an additive to bread, but poison for bottled water and the FSSAI allows bromates in drinking water in a standard manner that will never harm the people’s health and cause cancer.

Also, Read: What are the Categories and Standards of FSSAI Milk Products?