India replaces mandatory water certification with science-based testing

In a major regulatory shift affecting the multi-billion-dollar packaged water industry, India’s primary food safety regulator has replaced a decades-old mandatory certification system in favour of a new, highly detailed, and science-driven testing regime. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) announced the change, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, marking a pivot toward continuous quality control and self-monitoring by manufacturers.

The move follows the FSSAI's gazette notification on 17 October 2024, which officially removed the requirement for the mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mark for both Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) and Mineral Water (MW). Regulators emphasised that the omission of the BIS mark is being immediately supplanted by a comprehensive Scheme of Testing designed to maintain and enhance public safety and market compliance.

Focus on source-to-bottle control
The new scheme shifts the emphasis from a one-time certification process to an exhaustive control and monitoring system at every stage of production. At its core, the new regulation mandates stringent, independent lab analysis of source water — the raw material for the final product.

Five pillars of water compliance
The updated FSSAI regulations for bottled water place emphasis on source water integrity. Every manufacturer is now required to conduct comprehensive parameter testing on raw water through an FSSAI-notified, NABL-accredited laboratory before production begins. Should there be any alteration in the water source, immediate and total retesting of all parameters is mandatory to ensure consistent safety and compliance.

Safety standards have become particularly stringent regarding radioactive residues, where the regulator has implemented a zero-tolerance policy. If any non-conformity is detected in radioactive levels, manufacturers must immediately abandon that water source and initiate a full product recall. Furthermore, the Food Authority must be notified instantly to mitigate any potential public health risks.

Microbiological safety is governed by equally rigorous corrective protocols. In the event of microbiological non-compliance, all production and dispatch must be halted. Resumption is only permitted after a thorough investigation is concluded and the facility achieves satisfactory microbiological results for five consecutive batches, ensuring the contamination issue has been fully resolved.

To maintain ongoing compliance, the oversight framework now mandates a standard testing frequency of at least once every six months for all parameters. However, any instance of non-compliance triggers an immediate escalation in testing to a monthly frequency until three consecutive batches prove compliant. Should persistent issues continue over six months, the manufacturer will be subjected to a targeted, risk-based inspection by the FSSAI.

Finally, the regulations extend to packaging and documentation to ensure total traceability. All containment materials, ranging from plastic jars and glass bottles to pouches and aluminium cans, must strictly adhere to the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulation, 2018. Additionally, manufacturers are obligated to maintain detailed records — including test results, mineral consumption, and the disposal of non-conforming goods—for a minimum of five years.

The FSSAI's new mandate aims to institutionalise a higher degree of accountability among Food Business Operators (FBOs). By replacing the BIS standard with its own continuous testing protocol, the regulator is betting on a system that leverages consistent, traceable data over a single stamp of approval, ultimately promising a safer water supply for consumers.

Reporting by the WhatPackaging? desk.