FIJI Water wins again

www.fijisun.com.fj - 13/11/2009

Fiji Water, a world leader in bottled water, has once again made its name after achieving the NSF International Bottled Water Certification. The achievement makes Fiji Water the first bottler to meet NSF, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European requirements. This has allowed the international brand to again prove critics wrong following claims by a US magazine some months back. Director Development and External Affairs, David Roth, said FIJI Water certification from NSF International helps ensure the safety and quality of FIJI Water worldwide. Mr Roth said in order to achieve NSF International Certification, FIJI Water's facility at Yaqara was subject to a rigorous audit to verify that the bottling facility met all certification requirements. This included Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), which are widely-accepted standards for food safety. “FIJI bottled water was also tested to both U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European requirements for more than 160 chemicals, inorganic, radiological and microbiological contaminants,” Mr Roth said. Director of Product Quality of FIJI Water, Loren Merrick, said the importance of achieving NSF International Bottled Water Certification enables them to further demonstrate their emphasis on quality to their customers and the high standards they set for their water. “We send staff members around the world to obtain training with laboratory and quality experts, including NSF International's Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, to ensure we stay with quality control standards,” Mr Merrick said. He said ongoing testing and annual audits would ensure continued compliance with NSF International standards, as well as US and European requirements. “Obtaining NSF International Certification underscores Fiji's commitment to quality, safety and customer satisfaction,” General Manager of NSF International's Beverage Quality programme, Chris Dunn said. In 2008, FIJI Water launched FIJI Green, a campaign to reduce their carbon footprint, become carbon negative, and increase recycling efforts. They were the first company to release carbon footprint of their products in 2008.