S.L. 449.44 Art. 7Exploitation of natural mineral waters. Authorised treatments. Microbiological parameters.

Natural mineral water springs may be exploited and their waters bottled only in accordance with the Second Schedule.

8.1. Natural mineral water, in its state at source, may not be the subject of any treatment other than:

(a) the separation of its unstable elements, such as iron and sulphur compounds, by filtration or decanting, possibly preceded by oxygenation, in so far as this treatment does not alter the composition of the water as regards the essential constituents which give it its properties;

(b) the separation of iron, manganese and sulphur compounds and arsenic from certain natural mineral waters by treatment with ozone-enriched air in so far as such treatment does not alter the composition of the water as regards the essential constituents which give it its properties, and provided that:

(i) the treatment complies with any conditions for use which may be laid down in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12 of Council Directive 80/777/EEC,

(ii) the treatment is notified to, and specifically controlled by, the competent authorities;

(c) the separation of undesirable constituents other than those specified in paragraphs (a) or (b), in so far as this treatment does not alter the composition of the water as regards the essential constituents which give it its properties, and provided that:

(i) the treatment complies with the conditions for use to be laid down in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 12 of Council Directive 80/777/EEC,

(ii) the treatment is notified to, and specifically controlled by, the competent authorities;

(d) the total or partial elimination of free carbon dioxide by exclusively physical methods.

8.2 Natural mineral water, in its state at source, may not be the subject of any addition other than the introduction or the re-introduction of carbon dioxide under the conditions laid down in Section III of the First Schedule. 8.3 In particular, any disinfection treatment by whatever means and, subject to regulation 8.2, the addition of bacteriostatic elements or any other treatment likely to change the viable colony count of the natural mineral water shall be prohibited.

8.4 Regulation 8.1 shall not constitute a bar to the utilization of natural mineral waters and spring waters in the manufacture of soft drinks. 9.1. The revivable total colony count of a natural mineral water at source shall conform to its normal viable colony count and give satisfactory evidence of the protection of the source against all contamination. This total colony count shall be determined under the conditions laid down in Section II of the First Schedule, point 1.3.3. 9.1.1 After bottling, the total colony count at source may not exceed 100 per millilitre at 20 to 22ºC in 72 hours on agaragar or an agar-gelatine mixture and 20 per millilitre at 37ºC in 24 hours on agar-agar. The total colony count shall be measured within the 12 hours following bottling, the water being maintained at 4ºC ± 1ºC during this 12-hour period. 9.1.2 At source, these values should not normally exceed 20 per millilitre at 20 to 22ºC in 72 hours and 5 per millilitre at 37ºC in 24 hours respectively, on the understanding that they are to be considered as guide figures and not as maximum permitted concentrations. 9.2 At source and during its marketing, a natural mineral water shall be free from:

(a) parasites and pathogenic micro-organisms;

(b) Escherichia coli and other coliforms and faecal streptococci in any 250 ml sample examined;

(c) sporulated sulphite-reducing anaerobes in any 50 ml sample examined;

(d) Pseudomonas aeruginosa in any 250 ml sample examined. 9.3 Without prejudice to regulations 9.1 and 9.2 and the conditions of exploitation laid down in the Second Schedule, at the marketing stage:

(a) the revivable total colony count of a natural mineral water may only be that resulting from the normal increase in the bacteria content which it had at source,

(b) the natural mineral water may not contain any organoleptic defects.