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A report from March 1991:
The United States General Accounting Office published
report GAO/RCED-91-67 entitled "FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY STRONGER FDA STANDARDS
AND OVERSIGHT NEEDED FOR BOTTLED WATER. This report explains: "The FDA
is primarily responsible for ensuring the safety of bottled water sold
in interstate commerce, while the EPA is responsible for regulating most
other drinking water sources including setting allowable levels for contaminants
in public water systems [FDA defines bottled water as water that is sealed
in bottles or other containers and is intended for human consumption.
Bottled water excludes soda, seltzer, flavored, and vended water products].
FDA sets bottled water quality standards and oversees how these standards
are met by inspecting records and sanitary conditions at bottling plants,
testing bottled water samples, and requiring bottlers also to test their
water periodically. States are responsible for the safety of bottled water
sold in intrastate commerce."
The March 1991 report further states:
"Also, after temporarily exempting "mineral water"
from bottled water standards in 1973, FDA has not developed alternative
standards for it or even defined it [Although FDA has not officially defined
mineral water, it is generally considered a type of bottled water that
contains various dissolved minerals, such as copper, iron, sulfate, and
zinc].
As a result, bottled water,
including mineral water, may contain levels of potentially harmful contaminants
that are not allowed in public drinking water. FDA's oversight of bottled
water does not ensure that bottled water meets existing federal regulations
and standards. Because FDA does not have a complete inventory of bottlers,
it may not have inspected some domestic plants, and it does not inspect
foreign bottling operations because it lacks jurisdiction over them. Further,
of the 31 contaminants for which there are standards, FDA tested for 5
or fewer contaminants in 94 percent of the tests we reviewed. FDA and
the International Bottled Water Association believe that bottled water
is safe but recognize that some gaps in federal regulation should be closed."
The report goes on to give background, examples of problems, conclusions,
and recommendations.
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