The National Standards Authority of Ireland in conjunction with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, has launched a revised standard for bottled (or packaged ) water to reflect recent changes in European and national legislation on food hygiene and traceability requirements.
The revised standard will provide manufacturers of bottled water with specific requirements to assure the safety of bottled water for the Mayo consumer.
There are 26 packagers of ground water in Ireland and currently four products have been assessed by NSAI against the requirements of the standard.
“The Irish consumer spends more than €190 million on 180 million litres of bottled water annually,” said Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI. “Packagers of natural mineral water products are very aware of the importance of a good source of ground water and it is crucial they ensure that the source of that water does not become contaminated in any way. This standard provides guidance on how to protect a ground water source during its development and use and will assist industry in ensuring consistent safety and quality for the consumer.”
