BOTTLED/PACKAGED DRINKING WATERS (OTHER THAN NATURAL MINERAL WATERS)​ CODEX

Description

·       “Packaged Waters”, Other Than Natural Mineral Waters, Are Waters 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.

·       Waters Defined By Origin”, Whether They Come From The Underground Or From The Surface, Defined Under The Present Standard Share The Following Characteristics:

·       They Originate From Specific Environmental Resources Without Passing Through A Community Water System;

·       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;

·       Collecting Conditions Which Guarantee The Original Microbiological Purity And Essential Elements Of Their Chemical Make-Up At Origin;

·       From The Microbiological Standpoint, Are Constantly Fit For Human Consumption At Their Source And Are Kept In That State With Particular Hygienic Precautions Until And While Packaging In Accordance With Provisions

Essential Composition And Quality Factors

Modifications And Handling Of Packaged Waters :-

·       Waters Defined By Origin Must Not, Prior To Packaging, Be Modified Or Subjected To Treatments Other Than Those Described In Subsections Below With The Proviso That These Modifications Or Treatments And The Processes 2used To Achieve Them Do Not Change The Essential Physicochemical Characteristics Nor Compromise The Chemical, Radiological And Microbiological Safety Of These Waters When Packaged:

Selective Treatments That Modify The Original Composition:  

·       Reduction And/Or Elimination Of Dissolved Gases (And Resulting Possible Change In Ph);

·       Addition Of Carbon Dioxide (And Resulting Change In Ph) Or Re-Incorporation Of The Original Carbon Dioxide Present At Emergence;

·       Reduction And/Or Elimination Of Unstable Constituents Such As Iron, Manganese, Sulphur (As S0 Or S–) Compounds And Carbonates In Excess, Under Normal Conditions Of Temperature And Pressure, Of The Calco-Carbonate Equilibrium;

·       Addition Of Air, Oxygen Or Ozone On Condition That The Concentration Of By-Products Resulting From The Ozone Treatment Is Below The Tolerance Established

·       Decrease And/Or Increase In Temperature;

Antimicrobial Treatments For The Waters Defined By Origin 

·       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.

Chemical And Radiological Quality Of Packaged Waters :-

·       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 Health-Related Requirements Of The Most Recent “Guidelines For Drinking Water Quality” Published By The World Health Organization.

·       Any Addition Of Minerals To Water Before Packaging Must Comply With The Provisions Outlined In The Present Standard And, Where Applicable, With The Provisions In The General Principles For The Addition Of Essential Nutrients To Foods (Cxg 9-1987).

Food Additives

·       No Additives Except For The Addition Of Carbon Dioxide To Produce Carbonated Products.

Hygiene

·       Code Of Practice It Is Recommended That All Waters Covered By The Provisions Of This Standard Be Collected, Transported, Stored, And If Applicable Treated, And Packaged In Accordance With The General Principles Of Food Hygiene (Cxc 1-1991) And In Accordance With The Code Of Hygienic Practice For Bottled/Packaged Drinking Waters (Other Than Natural Mineral Waters) (Cxc 48-2001).

Labelling Requirements

·       In Addition To The General Standard For The Labelling Of Prepackaged Foods (Cxs 1-1985), The Following Provisions Shall Apply:

·       Name Of The Product Countries May Select Appropriate Names For Products, To Be Specified In National Legislation, That Reflect Local Consumer Expectations Arising From Cultural And Traditional Practices. However, In Establishing Such Labelling Requirements, Consideration Should Be Given To Ensuring That Any Product Complying With This Standard May Be Represented In A Way That Reflects Its Classification Within The Standard And That Consumers Are Not Misled.

Carbonation :-

·       In The Case Of Ground Waters Defined By Origin, “Naturally Carbonated” Or “Naturally Sparkling” If, After Packaging, Carbon Dioxide Spontaneously And Visibly Is Given Off Under Normal Conditions Of Temperature And Pressure And The Carbon Dioxide Originates From The Source At Emergence And Is Present At The Same Level As Was Present Originally At Emergence, With A Possible Re-Incorporation Of Gas From The Same Source, Taking Into Consideration A Technical Tolerance Of ± 20%.

·       In The Case Of Ground Waters Defined By Origin, “Fortified With Carbon Dioxide” If, After Packaging, Carbon Dioxide Spontaneously And Visibly Is Given Off Under Normal Conditions Of Temperature And Pressure And The Carbon Dioxide Originates From The Source At Emergence But Is Present At A Level At Least 20% Higher Than The Quantity Present Originally At Emergence, With A Possible Re-Incorporation Of Gas From The Same Source.

·       In The Case Of All Waters, “Carbonated” Or “Sparkling” If, After Packaging, Carbon Dioxide Spontaneously And Visibly Is Given Off Under Normal Conditions Of Temperature And Pressure And The Carbon Dioxide Does Not Entirely Originate From The Same Source As That Of The Water At Emergence.

Additional Labelling Requirements :-

·       Chemical Composition The Total Dissolved Solid Content Of Packaged Waters May Be Declared On The Principal Display Panel. With Regard To Waters Defined By Origin, The Chemical Composition That Confers The Characteristics To The Product May Also Be Declared On The Label.

·       Geographic Location Where Required By The Authorities Having Jurisdiction, The Precise Geographic Location Of The Specific Environmental Resource And/Or The Source Of A Water Defined By Origin Must Be Declared In The Manner Prescribed In The Applicable Legislation.

·       Prepared Water From A Water Distribution System When Prepared Water Is Supplied By A Public Or Private Tap Water Distribution System And Subsequently Packaged/Bottled, 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” Must Appear On The Label Along With The Name Of The Product On The Principal Display Panel.

·       Treatments Where Required By The Authorities Having Jurisdiction, If A Packaged/Bottled Water Has Been Modified By A Permitted Treatment Before Packaging, The Modification Or The Result Of The Treatment Must Be Declared On The Label In A Manner Prescribed In The Applicable Legislation.

Methods Of Analysis And Sampling

·       See Relevant Codex Texts On Methods Of Analysis And Sampling.