Bottled-Water Business Settles Suit from State DOH

By Rodney S. Yap

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health agreed to settle its enforcement action against Koyo USA Corporation filed last September.

Koyo has agreed to pay the department a total of $2 million in two installments.  The first $1 million payment was received in May and second and final payment is due no later than Aug. 31, 2013.

The DOH issued a notice of violation against Koyo USA Corp., maker of MaHaLo Hawaii Deep Sea water, for utilizing an unapproved manufacturing process for its bottled water from July 7, 2006 to May 19, 2011.  Koyo is required to adhere to a specific process in making bottled water from the ocean.  The bottled water is sold extensively in Japan.

No recall or embargo of the Koyo bottled water product was initiated by DOH after test results from independent laboratories and the state laboratory confirmed that consumption of the affected bottled water product did not pose an immediate and/or substantial risk to human health.