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Should the labels of bottled water be regulated to show contents?
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Results so far:
| Yes | 89% | 128 votes | Total: 144 votes | |
| No | 11% | 16 votes |
Yes
by Lucas Michieli
Created on: October 22, 2009 Last Updated: October 23, 2009
I would be guilty of embellishment if I were to say that regulations surrounding bottled water sucked.
The bottled water industry schemes to influence us; we are told that tap water is full of impurities and ill-regulated. However, in many parts of North America bottled water is not regulated whatsoever, also it is often not from the pristine source advertised on the bottle.
Sometimes it is tap water.
People buy bottled water for one of two reasons, they buy it out of convenience and they buy it due to the belief that it has health benefits that tap water does not.
Bottled water costs 100's of times more than tap water.
We are being misled; some companies tell us that we are purchasing a highly refined and health promoting product, from an obscure untainted locale. In fact, we may just be buying salted bath water.
The bottled water industry should be forced to show us what it is that we are ingesting, especially when it is at an inflated price compared to its likeness; if they choose to broadcast the benefits of their drink then we should be able to see what we are absorbing from their drink.
It has become the norm and the requirement for foods and beverages to show their ingredients and caloric breakdown on the box/label. Some bottling companies choose not to do this.
In regions where bottled water is regulated, general checks and tests on bottled water sources seem as if only a recommendation. Lack of regulation means that some (admittedly not all) suppliers may be selling water with elevated levels of bacteria and toxins.
Not only should the contents of the water be shown, a warning should be issued to explain the potential for toxins to be accumulated in the body should one choose to drink water from a bottle daily. Studies have shown that it is possible for the chemicals mixed into the plastics to leach out into water, and prolonged exposure to these chemical has been proven to have adverse effects.
To fix some of problems within this industry, those who sincerely believe that their product is superior to that of the competition should push the government to provide stronger regulations. These honest companies should provide as much information about their products as possible and encourage others to follow their lead. This would increase competition and drive those who are selling the inferior products out of business.
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No
by Dan Febbroriello
Created on: December 04, 2010
Most of us, in fact almost all of us buy some sort of bottled water. Yes, most of the foods that we buy have some sort of label listing the ingredients that are in it. But water is different. Water is just water, there's not much in it. It doesn't need the ingredients listed because there is not much to list. IT'S WATER!
People buy bottled water out of convenience. Not just convenience though, we buy it because it is filtered. Not all bottled water comes from the beautiful springs that are on the labels, most of it comes from their own well pumps. But either way, bottled water is filtered. The companies have filters to filter all of the impurities out of it. If they didn't trust me, we would know it. For one, the water would not look clear in the bottles, it would be cloudy.
I myself have a well pump. It is definately not the cleanest water supply. My well water has to much iron in it, making the sinks and toiletbowls rust if their not treated. Knowing this, and seeing what the water does to the toilets, I refuse to drink it, without a filter. Same goes for the bottled water companies.
Let's take a bottled water company. Dasani for example. If you go on Dasani's website, "dasani.com" they explain their purification process. Dasani admits that their water comes from whatever the local water supply is. However, they don't just turn the faucet on, fill the bottle up, and sell it. Each bottle goes through a purification process.
Dasan's purification process is filters. All of the water is run at high pressures through filters to take all of the impurities, odors and chlorine out. Then, they add mineralsand other natural ingredients for taste. After they filter the water, they run the water through machines to make sure all the levels are just right before they package it.
As you can see, they filter the water. Otherwise, it would look cloudy in the bottles and nobody would buy it. That's just Dasani, if you go on any major bottling company, they list their purification process. They could obviously not list their whole process on a bottle label.
And lets be honest here. If they did list exactly what they added to the water, half of us would have no idea what some of the minerals were, and we would most likely not purchase it. Bottled water is obviously filtered, and it is obvious what they put in it. There is no need to waste the plastic or ink by listing all of the ingredients added to it.
Learn more about this author, Dan Febbroriello.
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