GB19298-2014 "Food Safety National Standard Packaged Drinking Water" is a national standard for packaged drinking water for direct consumption (not applicable to drinking natural mineral water).The testing indicators in this standard mainly include the following aspects:
Sensory requirements mainly assess the appearance and taste of packaged drinking water to ensure that it is visually clear, transparent and free of impurities, and tastes free of odour and taste, and meets the requirements for drinking.Specific indicators include the testing of colour, turbidity, taste, odour and other items.
Physico-chemical indicators are used to assess the chemical safety and stability of packaged drinking water.These indicators include, but are not limited to:
Residual chlorine (free chlorine): ≤ 0.05 mg/L, used to assess the effectiveness of water disinfection and possible chemical residues.
Carbon tetrachloride: ≤0.002mg/L, a harmful organic pollutant.
Trichloromethane: ≤0.02mg/L, also a harmful organic pollutant.
Oxygen consumption (in O2): ≤2.0mg/L, reflecting the content of organic matter in water that can be oxidised.
Bromate: ≤0.01mg/L, a possible by-product of the ozone disinfection process.
Volatile phenol (as phenol): ≤0.002mg/L, used to assess the content of phenolic compounds in water.
Cyanide (as CN-): ≤0.05mg/L, a toxic chemical.
Anionic synthetic detergents: ≤ 0.3 mg/L for assessing possible detergent residues in water.
Total α-radioactivity and total β-radioactivity: ≤0.5Bq/L and ≤1Bq/L, respectively, for assessing the content of radioactive substances in water.
Pollutant limits are based on the provisions of GB 2762 "National Standard for Food Safety Pollutant Limits in Foods" to ensure that the content of pollutants that may exist in packaged drinking water is within safe limits.
Microbiological limits are used to assess the hygiene and safety of packaged drinking water.The main test items include:
Coliforms: not detectable, an important indicator for assessing water hygiene.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Not to be detected, a conditionally pathogenic bacterium that may pose a threat to human health.
When food additives are added to packaged drinking water, it is necessary to test whether their use complies with the provisions of GB 2760 "National Standard for Food Safety, Standard for Use of Food Additives".At the same time, the name of the product should be labelled with the words "food additives added for taste adjustment" and other similar words in the proximity of the name of the product.
In summary, the testing indicators in GB19298-2014 "Food Safety National Standard for Packaged Drinking Water" cover a wide range of organoleptic requirements, physical and chemical indicators, contaminant limits, microbiological limits and food additives, etc，It aims to ensure that the safety and quality of packaged drinking water comply with relevant national and industry standards and regulations.
