The Directorate General of Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) of the European Commission has published a Guidance on the use of active alumina to eliminate fluorides in natural mineral water and spring water, after having been approved by the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health on 14 December 2007.

- Download the Guidance document in Spanish- (PDF, 36 Kb)

While waiting for the EU to adopt legislation, the guidance document informs operators involved and controlling authorities in Member States of the conditions of using treatment with active alumina to eliminate fluorine.

Royal Decree 1074/2002, regulating the production, distribution and sale of bottled drinking water, establishes a maximum limit of 5 mg/l for the concentration of fluoride in natural mineral water (NMW). The limit came into force on 1 January 2008. From that time, NMW that does not conform to the requirement cannot be sold unless it has been subject to treatment to remove fluoride, according to article 19 of the Royal Decree.

The treatment must be carried out according to certain conditions after consulting the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), also notifying the health authorities and being subject to specific controls by the authorities.

EFSA assessed the method of adsorption of fluorides on active alumina, and in September 2006, issued a favourable opinion on the use of this method with NMW and spring water.