THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Laying down strict guidelines for the supply of drinking water in tanker lorries, the Food Safety Commissionerate on Wednesday stressed that only persons having a valid Food Business Operator (FBO) licence issued under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations 2011 can supply water in the state. The Commissionerate also urged the public to stop taking potable water from tanker lorry operators who do not possess the licence. Food Safety Commissioner T V Anupama issued the guidelines in the wake of complaints pouring in regarding the poor quality of water supplied in tankers.
The guidelines are applicable to both water suppliers as well as their customers such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals. The food safety licence is mandatory for water sources used by the tankers as well.
The food safety licence number should be displayed prominently on the tanker lorry. Suppliers who use hired vehicles for distributing/selling water also should obtain the licence. Tanker lorry operators should get the water tested once every six months by a government lab or an NABL-accredited lab and maintain certificates of the same.
Tankers used for supplying drinking water should have the label ‘Drinking Water’ displayed on them. If the water is meant for other purposes, such as construction, the vehicles should have a ‘Not for Drinking Purpose’ label displayed on them.
“The water will be considered as being transported for drinking purposes if the purpose is not mentioned, Anupama said.
The interior of the tank used for transporting drinking water should have a bitumen coating or any other permitted coating.
All tanker lorries transporting drinking water should carry the Food Safety and Standards licence, the lab report on water quality, details of the tanker capacity, and certification on the coating used in the interior of the tanker.
Absence of such documents can invite legal action, the Commissioner said.
BEWARE OF CONTAMINATED WATER
Drinking water falls within the definition of ‘Food’ as per Section 3(j) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Food safety Commissionerate has introduced the guidelines following complaints that water supplied in tanker lorries was unfit for consumption.milk, lassi etc.
• The FSSAI should fix limits of unhealthy ingredients such as transfats to 5 per cent at the earliest.
• Schools should promote nutrition education and awareness for children. A well-structured curriculum on balanced diet and its health impacts should be introduced.
• Labeling regulations must be strengthened by the FSSAI to enable complete and transparent information on the amount of fat, salt and sugar with reference to recommended daily allowed limits.
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