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Question:
FDA seeks to amend bottled water regulations A new FDA proposal aims to modify bottled water quality standard regulations by revising the existing allowable level for arsenic, the agency announced Dec. 2.comments?
Answer: The change would be made in order to harmonize FDA's standards with those of EPA, which changed its arsenic standard for public drinking water from 5 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb last year. "In general, FDA believes that, with few exceptions, EPA standards for contaminants in drinking water are appropriate as allowable levels for contaminants in the quality standard for bottled water when bottled water may be expected to contain the same contaminants," the agency said in its Federal Register notice. In order to monitor the revision of the standard, bottled water manufacturers would be required to scrutinize their finished bottled water products for arsenic at least once annually under the current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for bottled water. Those manufacturers also would have to check their source water for arsenic as often as necessary, but at least once annually, unless they meet the criteria for the CGMP's source water monitoring exemptions. Long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic, which is naturally occurring, may prove carcinogenic or cause neurological, immunological, and reproductive or developmental dysfunction.
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