Quarantine norms violation: FDA directs Parle not to market Bisleri

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed Parle Exports, manufacturers of `Bisleri' bottled water, not to release the product in the market till further orders.

The company has failed to conduct required microbiological tests as a quarantine procedure as per Bureau of Indian Standards' (BIS) norms, FDA commissioner A Ramakrishnan told reporters here.

Simultaneously, the FDA commissioner has also directed the local licencing authority, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), not to allow the production and sale of the product until the company fulfills the BIS norms.

The company has violated the mandatory procedure laid down by the BIS as it requires them to store the bottled water for five days before certifying it free from microbiological contamination for safe consumption, he said.

Although the bottled water company managed to re-acquire the permission from BIS to label its product with BIS mark a few hours after the FDA had ordered two of its units to suspend production on October 25, the FDA commissioner said, "we have written a letter to the BMC to suspend the production of bottled water until the quarantine norms are met with."

FDA had carried out a surprise check yesterday at the suburban Andheri unit of Parle Exports and found that the company did not have the facility for quarantine procedures.

"The company authorities pointed out lack of space in the Andheri unit," Ramakrishnan added.

Meanwhile, general manager of the company's Andheri unit, Sanjay Nair said "we are trying to make arrangements for storage space for manufactured bottles as per BIS directives but will take some time."

So far, the company was manufacturing and dispatching the water on the same day for its consumers in Maharashtra.

"Usually, we do the shelf life test in our premises for upto six months," Nair added.