N.J. Admin. Code § 8:21-5.7

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 8:21-5.7 - Production, equipment, and packaging requirements

(a) All bottled water production, including transporting, packaging, and storage, shall be conducted under such conditions and controls as are necessary to minimize the potential for undesirable bacterial or other microbiological growth, toxic formations, deterioration or contamination of the processed product, production equipment, and product packaging materials and shall be in conformance with 21 CFR 129.1, 129.20, 129.30, 129.35, 129.37, 129.40, and 129.80, incorporated herein by reference.

(b) All water that is bottled shall receive a final disinfectant treatment that ensures a minimum 0.1 milligram per liter ozone residual or utilize other effective microbial control procedures at the time of packaging. Bottled water treated with ozone shall not exceed a maximum residual level at the time of bottling of 0.4 milligram of ozone per liter of bottled water as established under 21 CFR 184.1563. Test kits or other appropriate equipment shall be used to measure the disinfectant residual at least daily, or more frequently, if deemed appropriate by the Department.

(c) Water storage tanks shall be designed to exclude all foreign matter. All ports, hatches, and other openings shall be provided with tight fitting covers and shall be vented only through the use of inverted air filters or other approved venting device(s).

(d) Product water pipelines shall be constructed with seams and pipe connections that are smoothly bonded or connected to minimize the accumulation of scale residue or other contaminants.

1. Pipe connections shall be constructed for easy breakdown for inspection and cleaning.

2. Transport pipelines charging the storage tanks and transporting water to the filling lines shall be used only for bottled water products.

(e) All treatment and processing of bottled drinking water by distillation, ion-exchange, filtration, reverse osmosis, mineral addition, ultraviolet treatment, or any other process shall be done in a manner so as to be effective in accomplishing its intended purpose and in conformance with Section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(f) The filling and closing of bottled water containers shall be done in a sanitary manner by approved mechanical filling and capping equipment. Other sanitary methods may be approved by the Department.

1. Fillers shall have a charging inlet designed to prevent the entry of condensation and contaminants. All filling valves shall be equipped with a condensation diverting apron.

2. All closure hoppers and product reservoirs or filling machines as well as any other type of hopper or conveying system used in the production and filling of bottled water products shall be equipped with covers. These covers shall adequately protect closures and bottled water from dust, dirt, and other contaminants and shall be in place at all times.

3. Fillers and other processing, filling, and capping equipment used in the production of bottled drinking water shall be constructed of smooth, impervious, corrosion-resistant nontoxic materials. All fillers shall be constructed for ease of cleaning and kept in good repair.

4. Fillers, filling line piping, and other processing, filling, and capping equipment used in the production of bottled water shall not be used for the production of milk, fruit drinks, and/or any other food products, unless adequate written washing and sanitizing procedures that shall prevent microbiological contamination or adulteration of the bottled water have been established and followed. Non-food products shall not be processed, filled, and/or capped on lines used for bottling water products.

5. Only sanitary, nontoxic, food grade lubricants shall be used on container contact surfaces.

(g) Containers and closures for bottled water shall conform to the requirements of 21 CFR 177, incorporated herein by reference.

1. All cleaned bottled water containers and single-service containers shall be protected from dust, dirt, insects, debris, and all other forms of contamination while in storage or during production, filling, and capping operations.

2. All closures (screw, snap, or crown caps) shall be new. These closures, while in storage, shall be covered and protected from contamination and/or adulteration at all times.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:21-5.7

Amended by R.2000 d.150, effective 4/3/2000.
See: 31 New Jersey Register 2585(a), 32 New Jersey Register 1195(a).
In (b), rewrote the first sentence; and in (f), substituted "in place at all times" for "used at all times during and after operations" at the end of 2, and rewrote the first sentence of 4.