The Government of Jammu & Kashmir, on March 18, 2026, issued a public notice outlining revised compliance requirements for manufacturers of Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) and Mineral Water (MW). The notice follows the decision of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which removed the mandatory requirement of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for these products, and introduced a structured “Scheme of Testing” to ensure product safety and regulatory compliance.
The notice prescribes detailed testing, quality control, and hygiene requirements for PDW and MW manufacturers. These include mandatory testing of entire production batches, strict microbiological compliance, maintenance of records for at least five years, and testing of source water through NABL-accredited laboratories. It also mandates adherence to packaging standards under the Packaging Regulations, 2018, proper sanitation of reusable containers, and immediate action such as product recall and source abandonment in case of contamination (including radioactive contamination).
Further, the notice emphasizes compliance with Schedule IV (GMP and hygiene requirements) under licensing regulations, proper disposal of rejected products, and maintenance of separate records for non-conforming batches. The effective date for compliance is January 1, 2026, and any violation may attract action under the Food Safety and Standards Act and related regulations.
[Public Notice No. FADA-Acc/18/2021-05]
