Punjab Food Authority (PFA) bans sale of Aquafina, Kinley and Springley after microbiological germs were found in their samples. PFA also closed down the production units of these companies ordering them to remove their stock from market because their samples were found unfit for human consumption.
Previously Aquafina was declared as the only safe drinking water by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Aquafina is bottled water by PepsiCo, Kinley is the water brand of Coca Cola and Springley is owned by Qarshi industries.
The teams of PFA collected 14 samples from different areas of Lahore and no bottled water met the criteria of being declared as mineral water. The companies which failed to meet the mineral water criteria include:
- Sufi
- Aqua Safe
- Sparkle
- Blu Water
- Zam Zam
- Naimat
- Kinz
- Nestle Pure Life
- Murree Sparkletts
- Pure Drinking Water
- Bottle Water
The samples were tested by Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research which declared that these companies fail to qualify for the standard of mineral water.
Also Read: Mineral Water: Only 278 Companies Out Of 753 Have PSQCA License
Director General of PFA Noorul Amin Mengal ordered these companies to change their label because advertisement and labeling their water as mineral water is misleading. Representatives of these companies also approached him to appeal for re-test and resuming the production but their appeal for resuming production was rejected.
Amina Mengal said that on appeal the samples will be sent to a government or private laboratory but production will not be allowed before getting clearance certificate.