Food and Drugs Director: No choice but to adhere

Stanley Temal, Director of the Chemical, Food and Drug Division (CFDD) of the Ministry of Health said the division recently upgraded the local bottle legislation and hoped to have it approved by the Ministry of Legal Affairs, under which falls the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

He said the CFDD tries its best to ensure that bottled water is safe for consumption. He noted though that within recent times they have not received any complaints about the quality of bottled water. He recalled the last time there was a major problem was in 1999, when a few brands of local and imported bottled water which contained “unacceptable microbiological quality.” Temal said the CFDD conducts lots of tests on both local and imported bottled water. He dismissed claims that there are no standards for bottled water in TT, noting that standards for bottled water are set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). “The Food and Drugs Division,” he said, “has not received any complaints within recent months or the longest while about bottled water either from consumers of the Consumer Affairs Division.”

The CFDD, he insists, carries out tests on most if not all bottled waters in TT. “We know where the problems lie and we consistently check up on producers, but most water producers adhere to the WHO standards. They have no other choice but to adhere to these standards otherwise we remove their products from the shelves.” He noted that when bottled water first became a craze in the country there were many complaints about residues and the smell of the products. Temal said the CFDD has strict testing schemes and looks at the sanitation, processing and producing procedures for bottling water. The CFDD has about 14 inspectors which travel around the country and conducts random tests on bottled water. “If the water is deemed unsuitable or unsafe for consumption, it is removed from wherever it is being sold,” he said. This, he said, all has to do with public health and safety. “Our laboratories inspect the shipments from abroad and then releases it for consumption. Our job is to ensure that consumers get products that are good and safe for their health.” Inspectors also have the added task of monitoring labels on bottled water to ensure that they conform to the specified requirements. Water producers can also get the water tested at independent testing labs like CARIRI. Irma Burkett, public relations manager, CARIRI, said  the organisation conducts regular testing but only for three local bottled water producers and only occasionally for others.