The Department of Health & Family Welfare has notified amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, following the issuance of a notification by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on October 17, 2024. The amended regulations, now in effect, remove the mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for packaged drinking water manufacturers.
Under the revised Regulation 2.3, sub-regulation 2.3.14, clauses 17 and 18—which previously mandated BIS certification—have been omitted. As a result, Food Business Operators (FBOs) producing packaged drinking water and mineral water no longer require BIS certification. However, obtaining an FSSAI Food Safety License Certificate through the online portal https://foscos.fssai.gov.in is now compulsory.
The department has also mandated that all packaged drinking water undergo testing at an FSSAI-notified laboratory with the scope for analyzing such products. Additionally, manufacturers must ensure that bottled water labels include:
1. Name of the product
2. Name and address of the manufacturer
3. Brand name (if any)
4. Lot/Batch number
5. Date of processing/packaging
6. Best before date
7. FSSAI logo and license/registration certificate number
This notification supersedes the previous directive (NO.DHFW-21/FSSA/BIS/13/2021-22/274-79) issued on July 25, 2024.
Food Business Operators seeking assistance can visit the Food Safety Section at the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) offices in Kohima, Mokokchung, and Dimapur.
The department has warned that non-compliance with the new regulations will constitute a violation of Sections 58 and 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which carries legal consequences.