THA/682
WTO/TBT
TH Thailand
  • 67 - Lebensmitteltechnologie
  • 22 - Getränke, alkoholische Flüssigkeiten und Essig
2022-12-16
2022-10-17

Natural Mineral Water (HS code : 22.01; ICS Code : 67.160.20)

Draft Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Notification, No. … B.E. .... issued by virtue of the Food Act B.E. 2522 entitled "Natural Mineral Water"

In order to comply with the maximum level of certain contaminants provided in the Standard for Natural Mineral Waters (CODEX STAN 108-1981 which has been amended since 2019, the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 199) B.E. 2543 (2000) should be amended which;

1. the MOPH Notification No. 199 (BE. 2543) issued by virtue of the Food Act B.E. 2522 entitled "Mineral water" of 19 September B.E. 2543 will be repealed and replaced by this draft of MOPH Notification.

2. In this Notification, "Natural Mineral Water" is water that clearly distinguished from ordinary drinking water by its content of certain mineral salts and other compositions that are due to the specific qualities of its source of origin. According to the Groundwater Act, it shall be obtained from natural sources of underground water, where it is not a surface water and the environmental or land-use activities do not cause contamination of groundwater.

3. Natural Mineral Water can be categorized into 5 types as follow;

3.1 Naturally carbonated natural mineral water

3.2 Non-carbonated natural mineral water

3.3 Decarbonated natural mineral water

3.4 Natural mineral water fortified with carbon dioxide from the source

3.5 Carbonated natural mineral water

4. Natural Mineral Water shall be packaged close to the point of emergence of the source with treatments permitted, including;

(1) gas adjustment,

(2) separation from unstable constituents, such as compounds containing iron, manganese, sulphur or arsenic, by decantation and/or filtration, if necessary, accelerated by the previous aeration.

Moreover, Natural Mineral Water shall be collected under conditions guaranteeing the original chemical composition of essential components. The treatments provided above shall only be carried out on condition that the mineral content of the water is not modified in its essential constituents, which give the water its properties.

5. Natural mineral water in its package shall contain no more than the following amounts of the substances or microbiology indicated here:

5.1 Heavy metal;

(1) Antimony 0.005 mg/l

(2) Arsenic 0.01 mg/l, calculated as total As

(3) Barium 0.7 mg/l1

(4) Borate 5 mg/l, calculated as B

(5) Cadmium 0.003 mg/l

(6) Chromium 0.05 mg/l, calculated as total Cr

(7) Copper 1 mg/l

(8) Lead 0.01 mg/l

(9) Manganese 0.4 mg/l

(10) Mercury 0.001 mg/l

(11) Nickel 0.02 mg/l

(12) Selenium 0.01 mg/l

5.2 other substances

(1) Cyanide 0.07 mg/l

(2) Nitrate 50 mg/l, calculated as nitrate

(3) Nitrite 0.1 mg/l as nitrite

(4) Free from (below the limit of quantification) Surface active agents

(5) Free from (below the limit of quantification) Pesticides

(6) Free from (below the limit of quantification) PCBs

(7) Free from (below the limit of quantification) Mineral oil

(8) Free from (below the limit of quantification) Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons

5.3 Microbiology

(1) E. Coli 2.2 (MPN) / 100 milliliter

(2) free from Escherichia coli

(3) Pathogens as indicated in the MOPH notification (No. 416) B.E. 2563 Re: Prescribing the quality or standard, principles, conditions and methods of analysis for pathogenic microorganisms in foods.

6. Natural Mineral Water shall be produced and controlled according to the MOPH Notification on Good Manufacturing Practices which may be subjected to treatments during the bottling process as a disinfectant (e.g. Ultraviolet) to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms cross-contamination when necessary.

7. Natural mineral water shall be packed in hermetically sealed retail containers suitable for preventing the possible adulteration or contamination of water.

8. In addition to the general labelling requirement according to the MOPH Notification for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, the following provisions shall apply:

8.1 The name of the product shall be "natural mineral water", which may be accompanied by a trading name.

8.2 Type of Natural Mineral Water in accordance with Section 3

8.3 The location of the source or the name of the source.

8.4 Chemical composition which gives characteristics to the product

8.5 If natural mineral water has been submitted to a treatment the result of the treatment shall be declared on the label.

8.6 If the product contains;

(1) more than 1 mg/l of fluoride, the term "contains fluoride" shall appear on the label as part of, or in close proximity to, the product's name or in an otherwise prominent position.

(2) more than 1.5 mg/l fluorides. the following sentence, "The product is not suitable for infants and children under the age of seven years", should be included on the label in addition to (1)

9. Labelling prohibitions;

9.1 No claims concerning medicinal (preventative, alleviative or curative) effects or claims of other beneficial effects related to the health of the consumer shall not be made unless true and not misleading.

9.2 The name of the locality or specified place may not form part of the trade name unless it refers to natural mineral water collected at the place designated by that trade name.

9.3 The use of any statement or any pictorial device which may create confusion in the mind of the public or in any way mislead the public about the nature, origin, composition and properties of natural mineral waters put on sale is prohibited.

10. Producers or importers of Natural Mineral Water which approved for marketing prior to the Notification come into force shall comply with this Notification within two years from the date this Notification come into force; 11. This notification shall enter into force after 180 days of its publication in the Government Gazette.