Financial Times

Few bottled water brands certified by SLSI
Thirty companies in the bottled water business have applied for certification from the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) ahead of the compulsory licensing process for bottled water which is effective from January, SLSI sources said.

Under new rules effective from January, those selling bottled water sans the SLS mark would be liable to a fine of Rs 10,000 or six months in jail or both. It would be mandatory to obtain a registration number from the Food and Drugs Authority of the Ministry of Health, to sell locally manufactured bottled water in Sri Lanka. The registration number would be given only after the SLS mark is obtained.

Of the 70-odd bottled water brands in the market only eight have the SLS mark certifying the purity of the water. The sources said that anybody could fill water in bottles and sell them with no authority currently responsible for its quality. Under the general provisions of the Food Act, the Food and Drugs Authority could investigate the quality aspect of the water if a complaint is made.

In the case of imported bottled water, the consignments of bottled water are released by Customs only on the approval of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute. There are about eight imported brands of bottled water.

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