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The Agency is aware that some brands of bottled water labelled as Zam Zam water continue to be found on the market, particularly in those areas which have a significant Muslim population. The Zam Zam Well, which is located within the precinct of the Holy Mosque in Makkha (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, is sacred to Muslimsand it is their belief that this water has healing properties.
The Agency has received written confirmation from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London that Zam Zam water is only available to pilgrims and can neither be exported nor sold, on a commercial basis, within or outside Saudi Arabia.
Recent sampling of bottled water labelled as Zam Zam has identified that the arsenic levels exceed the limit of 0.01 mg/L contained in the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/1540) as amended.
The Agency considers breach of this level to present a risk to health, as arsenic is a known genotoxic carcinogen. In addition, nitrate has been found to exceed the permitted limit of 50 mg nitrate/L. Although these levels of nitrate raise no particular health concerns for the general population, it is not advisable for infants to consume water with excess nitrate because infants are more sensitive than other population groups to the effects of nitrate on haemoglobin in the blood. Further information on the legal limits and health concerns is provided in the Annex to this letter.
The Agency last wrote to you on 22 September 2006 (Reference: ENF/E/06/061) on this issue. It is an offence to bottle or sell any drinking water that contains any substance listed in Schedule 3 of the Regulations at a level which exceeds the maximum limit specified in relation to that substance.
Given that the demand for Zam Zam water is likely to increase during the month of Ramadan (which started on 13 September) the Agency would like to remind
enforcement authorities of this issue and ask that you be aware of these products. Enforcement authorities can take appropriate action against bottled water labelled as Zam Zam, including sampling, with a view to removing suspect products from sale and also to obtain any relevant information to help trace suppliers.