UL Certifies Safe, Quality Bottled Water
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) of Northbrook, Ill., has a new certification program for bottled water that enables consumers to choose brands that have been validated to meet the Food and Drug Administration and International Bottled Water Association requirements for quality and safety.
This mark will enable producers of bottled water to differentiate and more effectively communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of their product.
"The introduction of this new mark for bottled water is a natural extension of UL's commitment to public safety," said Jeff Smith, general manager, UL Global Water Business. "Consumers can feel confident that when they see the UL Certified Water Quality Mark on bottled water, that the global leader in product safety certification, with more than 100 years of service, has independently tested the safety and quality of the water."
"High consumer preference toward the UL Mark demonstrates the public's desire for independent verification that bottled water meets all federal regulations for quality and safety," said Ann Marie Gebhart, UL Water Program director. "The UL Mark is one of the most widely recognized and trusted safety symbols in the world. Bottled water manufacturers who partner with UL can now very effectively communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of their products."
The new UL Certified Water Quality Mark will first be available for bottled water products intended for distribution in the United States. Consumers can be assured that bottled water bearing the Mark is produced at plants audited by UL, and those audits are inclusive of the IBWA, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, and Good Manufacturing Practice requirements. To date, UL has analyzed more than 1.5 million water samples for thousand of bottlers, public water supplies, engineering firms, consultants, and state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. military. UL's water laboratory is certified in 48 states and Puerto Rico, making it the most certified laboratory for bottled water analysis.
UL's water quality certification program is fully accredited in the United States and Canada.