The International Council of Bottled Water Associations (ICBWA) adopted a Model Code of quality and safety standards at its group meeting in Paris on February 23-24.
The Model Code provides minimum requirements that must be followed by the members of all ICBWA organizations.
Under the ICBWA Model Code, all bottlers must pass an annual, unannounced plant inspection by an independent, internationally recognized third-party organization. The inspection audits quality and testing records, reviews all areas of plant operation from source to finished product and checks compliance with all governmental regulations.
The three standing ICBWA Committees -- Technical, Communications and Trade Show -- also met and discussed issues of interest to the global bottled water industry. Agenda items included groundwater stewardship, World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water, research projects being considered by the Drinking Water Research Foundation, a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report concerning daily consumption of drinking water and other beverages, a model product recall plan and dates and locations for ICBWA member trade shows and conventions.
ICBWA was established in 2000 and represents bottled water associations from throughout the world. Its members are Asia Bottled Water Association, Australasian Bottled Water Institute, Canadian Bottled Water Association, European Bottled Water Federation, Latin American Bottled Water Association and the International Bottled Water Association (United States). ICBWA's mission is to strengthen and promote the global bottled water industry by supporting and adhering to rigorous international product standards, and by facilitating learning and providing a flow of information about the bottled water industry among its members, international agencies and stakeholders. The six ICBWA organizations represent over 2000 members in approximately 100 countries. The members include bottled water producers, distributors and suppliers. For additional information about ICBWA, go to www.icbwa.org
Source: The International Council of Bottled Water Associations
