Food safety body warns it’s ‘high risk’: Here’s what it means

India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has reclassified packaged drinking water and mineral water as a “high-risk food category”.
The order is effective immediately and follows an order dated 29 November, requiring manufacturers to undergo mandatory third-party food safety audits and comply with enhanced quality standards.
The reclassification by the (FSSAI) follows recent amendments to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which previously removed mandatory BIS certification requirements for certain food products.
According to FSSAI, high-risk foods are those that pose a higher risk of food poisoning due to contamination, poor storage, or poor handling. They require closer and regular inspections.
Moreover, they also need to follow stricter norms of safety to be considered safe for consumption.
This reclassification means that these products will have to comply with stricter regulatory controls and annual facility inspections.
Central licence holders in this category need to submit to annual inspections aimed at mitigating potential health risks associated with packaged water production.
The reclassification has been designed to strengthen consumer protection and maintain rigorous quality control in the packaged water industry.
The industry had been demanding the removal of dual certification from the BIS and FSSAI, in a bid to streamline the process.
In October, the Centre had eliminated the need to obtain BIS certification on packaged water.
The regular inspections are done by food safety officers. Later, food commissioners in each state and union territory check the progress of the inspections.
Some other products in the high-risk category include dairy products, meat products, eggs and egg products, Indian sweets, prepared foods.