Beirut: Public Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine announced today during a press conference that the Tannourine Water Company has resumed its authorization to produce, bottle, and distribute drinking water throughout Lebanon. This announcement comes after a temporary suspension following contamination concerns.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, the Health Minister addressed the issue by explaining that complaints about Tannourine’s water surfaced on social media. In response, the epidemiological surveillance team collected samples from Lebanese markets, with three out of six initially testing positive for contamination. Further investigation with 11 additional samples revealed that one still contained the bacteria.

Nassereddine assured the public that subsequent samples from Tannourine’s water source, reservoirs, and markets were clean and bacteria-free. He commended the company’s efforts to address the technical issues and highlighted the importance of the temporary suspension as a precautionary measure.

He also praised Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani for his swift action in signing the decision to ensure public safety. Nassereddine emphasized the development of a central epidemiological and pharmaceutical laboratory and noted the accreditation of eight reference laboratories since 2015, under the supervision of the World Health Organization.