BENGALURU: Following a crackdown on food and drug violations in Karnataka, the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has turned its attention to packaged drinking water manufacturing units. On Thursday, it issued notices to 24 packaged drinking water manufacturing units across the state.
In a statement, Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader said the department inspected 45 packaged drinking water manufacturing units across Karnataka, collected 32 water samples for laboratory testing and issued notices to 24 units for various violations.
The special inspection drive was launched with 23 teams comprising food safety officers deployed across districts.
The operation will continue on Friday. The minister said during the inspections, officials found unhygienic conditions, missing medical certificates for staff, absence of FSSAI licences, labelling defects and missing pest control certificates. Misbranded packaged drinking water was seized from units in Mysuru and Davanagere.
A manufacturing unit in Mulbagal in Kolar district was shut down due to unhygienic conditions, he added. The department said legal action would be taken against those found guilty and that inspections would continue regularly. Consumers have been advised to check the FSSAI licence number, ISI mark, manufacturing date and intact seal before buying packaged drinking water.