Kohima, February 19 (MExN): The Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW), Nagaland, has issued a new directive clarifying that while Food Business Operators (FBOs) manufacturing packaged drinking water do not need to obtain a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certification Mark, they must mandatorily acquire a Food Safety Licence Certificate.
Superseding a previous notification issued on July 25, 2024, the DoHFW stated that the licence can be obtained through the online portal https://foscos.fssai.gov.in.
Further, a water test report is mandatory, and the water must be tested at an FSSAI-notified laboratory with the necessary scope for analysing packaged drinking water and mineral water, it informed.
The department further directed that bottles of packaged drinking water must be clearly marked with the following details:
• Name of the product
• Name and address of the manufacturer
• Brand name (if any)
• Lot/Batch number
• Date of processing/packaging
• Best before date
• FSSAI logo and the licence/registration certificate number.
For further assistance, stakeholders may visit the Food Safety Section at the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) offices in Kohima, Mokokchung, and Dimapur, the department added. The new directive is in accordance with the amended FSSAI regulations issued on October 17, 2024.
