The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has further extended the deadline for implementation of the regulations to ensure that the packed drinking water contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium by six months till July 1, 2021.
The food regulator had earlier extended the deadline for the food business operators (FBOs) to comply with the regulations to July 1 2020 which was further extended to January 1, 2021 due to the. Coronavirus pandemic.
FSSAI said in a statement that representation has been received from a section of stakeholders requesting for further extension of time since FBOs are not yet prepared to comply with regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has been decided to further extend the timeline for compliance related to limits of calcium and magnesium for the standards of Packaged Drinking Water (other than mineral water) up to July 1,” the regulator said.
These standards on packaged drinking water are prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) fourth amendment regulations, 2019. According to this, the mandatory requirement of calcium has been set at 20-75 mg/litre while the quantity of magnesium is in the range of 10-30 mg/litre.
The FSSAI brought these regulations in response to the directives for the National Green Tribunal in 2019.