Kumasi, Jan. 24, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has expressed concern about the behaviour of some sachet water producing companies who are bottling water in either polyvinylchloride compound (PVC) bottles or polyethylphalate compound (PET) bottles using their existing facilities. A release from the zonal office of the Board in Kumasi and signed by Mr Joseph Bennie, the zonal Officer, reminded all producers in the sachet water industry that the conversion of sachet water processing to bottled water processing demanded the appropriate equipment and technology.

The release said the requisite processing infrastructure and layout must also be available to ensure product integrity, character and safety.

It said product information must conform to Legislative Instrument (LI) 1541 on product labelling, codex labelling rules and all requirements on bottled water.

The release said so far only nine companies had been registered to produce bottled water while two others had applied for registration of their products and that their applications were currently being processed.

The companies are Ice Cool Purified Water Limited, Tema, producers of ice cool purified water, Voltic Ghana Limited, producers of voltic natural mineral water, Aqua-In Limited, producers of Aqua-In spring Water, Yes Natural Mineral Limited, producers of Yes Natural Mineral Water, coca-cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited, producers of Dasani purified water and Astek Fruit Processing Limited, producers of Astek Nsu Mineral.

The rest are Divine Aqua enterprise, producers of Divine Aqua, Shaaka Enterprise, producers of Smile Natural Mineral Water and GIHOC Distilleries, producers of Meridian Filtered Water.

Those whose applications were being processed include coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited for Bon Aqua and Highlan Springs Ghana Limited for Aqua Fill.