Zam Zam water, cannot legally be exported from Saudi Arabia for commercial sale. This issue was first brought to the Agency's attention by leaders within the Muslim community. A brand of Zam Zam formally sampled by the London Borough of Westminster has been found to contain almost three times the permitted level of arsenic, which could contribute to increasing people's risk of cancer. The local authority has taken action to prevent further sale of the product from the outlet, and has contacted the importer as part of its investigation.

The FSA is therefore advising people not to buy or drink commercially available brands of Zam Zam water and to inform their Local Authority Environmental Health or Trading Standards Department if they come across Zam Zam water on sale. This advice does not relate to the genuine Zam Zam water being brought into UK by returning pilgrims, as an accompanied or unaccompanied ‘personal import.’