The Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards has urged the health and family welfare ministry to amend specifications of packaged drinking and mineral water in line with the amendment carried out in BIS specifications, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

The BIS has now proposed revising the methods of analysis to use internationally established test methods which could detect proposed residue limits, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a written reply.

The BIS has also proposed prescribing the maximum residue limits of pesticides in packaged drinking and mineral water.

It said the manufacturers should produce a no objection certificate from the central government/state government ground water authority for obtaining BIS certificate.

The minister said a draft notification for inviting comments from the public to amend the standards of packaged drinking and mineral water under Prevention of Food Adulteration rules, as recommended by BIS, has been issued.

Thirty days have been given for receiving public comments, the minister said.