International and domestic experience in standard regulation of bottled drinking water quality

Regulatory control of the quality of bottled drinking water is an important area of protecting health and enhancing quality of life in population, including children.

The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of regulatory measures for the quality of bottled drinking water based on chemical indices, with a view to considering international standards to improve the Russian legal framework in this field. The analysis incorporates foreign regulatory and legal instruments in the area of control and monitoring of the quality of packaged drinking water, such as the Codex Alimentarius and directives of the European Parliament, Council of the European Union, Code of Special Regulations of Food and Drug Administration, ТР ЕАЭС 044/2017 Technical Regulations.Current international and domestic regulations, ensuring bottled water quality, have been analyzed. In spite of the fact that regulatory documents comprise fifty three common indices, over half of the international standard values differ significantly as compared to ТР ЕАЭС 044/2017 Regulations. There are noted advantages of domestic regulations, considering the specific requirements for bottled drinking water for children and the physiological benefits of water. In this study, only the regulation of chemical indices in packaged drinking water has been considered based on 4 regulatory documents. Additionally, the work has not taken into account in detail those indices that are not included in domestic regulations.

Conclusion. A comparative analysis of international and national regulations has shown the Russian Federation to have more stringent requirements for the regulatory values of bottled water quality. Taking into account current trends it is necessary to improve and expand constantly the system of regulatory quality control of bottled drinking water by including those indices concentrations of which are regulated by international legislation.

Contribution of the authors:
Shilov V.V. – the concept and design of the study, writing the text, editing;
Markova O.L. – the concept and design of the study, writing the text;
Yeremin G.B. – writing the text, editing;
Isaev D.S. – writing the text, editing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgement. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: May 3, 2024 / Accepted: June 19, 2024 / Revised: June 6, 2024 / Published: September 10, 2024