Label Requirements for Bottled Water

Citizens of the United States benefit from the unimpeded interstate commerce of consumer products. A nationally uniform label is required on products to facilitate broad consumer understanding and prevent deception. In 1995 the U.S Food and Drug Administration established a standard of identity regulations specifically for labeling bottled water that all manufacturing companies in the U.S. must adhere to.

What the Standard of Identity Encompasses

• According to the Standard of Identity established by the FDA in 1995, bottled water must be labeled with a general description of the water. It must be labeled as either "Bottled Water," "Drinking Water," "Purified Water," "Artesian Water," "Artesian Well Water," "Sparkling Bottled Water," "Ground Water" or "Spring Water." Other label statements must include the source of the water only if it comes from a community water source. Community water sources for bottled water must be declared as "from a community water system" or "from a municipal source." If it's not a community water source, the FDA requires that label clearly states the safety, quality and type of water source.

Other FDA Labeling Requirments

• Companies must provide three important pieces of information that give the consumer a feasible means of informing themselves about the manufacturer and its product. These are: company contact information, such as telephone number and address; a combination approach where some vital quality information is specified on the label and the rest is easily obtainable by a customer through contact with the company; and information packages distributed with large bulk deliveries and purchases.

Processing and Quality Assurance

• The FDA requires manufacturers of bottled water to declare that the bottled water is safe and is processed, bottled, held and transported under sanitary conditions. Manufacturers are required to maintain source approval and must adhere to regular inspections.