Regulation No. 405/2004 on natural mineral water and bottled spring water.

This regulation governs natural mineral water and bottled spring water, setting conditions for their exploitation, bottling, distribution, treatment, packaging, labelling and official control. It defines natural mineral water as underground water from one or more natural springs with stable physical characteristics and mineral composition, and bottled spring water as spring water piped directly from the source to bottling premises. The regulation requires permits for exploiting natural mineral water, supported by geological, hydrological, physicochemical and microbiological evidence, and prohibits disinfection or treatments that would alter the natural microbial count, while allowing limited treatments such as filtration, removal of unstable or undesirable substances, removal or addition of carbon dioxide, and ozone-enriched air treatment under specific conditions. It sets rules on permitted product names, labelling of composition, source area and treatments, special warnings for high fluoride content, hygiene and protection of the source, packaging safeguards, and immediate suspension of bottling where contamination is detected. The annexes provide optional mineral-water labelling terms, maximum levels for naturally occurring substances such as arsenic, lead, fluoride, nitrate and nitrite, analytical performance requirements, and residue limits after ozone treatment.