Bottled Water Considered a Food Product

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Not too many people realize that bottled water is actually considered to be a food product, probably because a bottle of water doesn’t usually come to mind when people feel the need to eat. Nonetheless, the US Food and Drug Administration (USDA) has the responsibility of regulating the quality of bottled water.
The FDA also works in concert with those states that have other requirements for bottled water to be sold in that state, a job made much more complicated by the huge variety of bottled waters on the marketplace. Bottled water is categorized by the source of the water, as well as the treatment methods used in preparing the water for bottling.
It goes without saying that bottled water products need to be disinfected. In an increasingly polluted world, this is a major consumer concern. Bottled water taken from a spring or well isn't necessarily disinfected before bottling; some companies simply use ozone or ultraviolet technology purify the water, leaving it tasteless and odorless--but not necessarily germ-less.
Bottling companies can also purchase water from municipal water supplies, but that raises the question of what other additives are in the water. The purchased water is further treated once it is at the bottling plant with processes like filtration, reverse osmosis or distillation (the best method). Many consumers aren't aware of this, but federal laws don't mandate bottling companies to list naturally-occurring compounds like sulfates, radon, or sodium on their label.
However, anything added by the bottling company, such as minerals, flavoring, or fluoride, must appear on the label. Regardless of where extra ingredients in the water came from, they must be below the maximum levels allowed by the FDA or state regulations (if those apply).
Bottled water can come in many different forms – your water may be labeled as artesian, flouridated, ground, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring, sterile or well water. While it may sound confusing, if you check the labels, you will have a good idea of the water's source and any possible additives present.
The bottom line is this: pure water is essential for our health, and the purest form available is distilled water. Distillation vaporizes regular tap water into sterilized steam. It then condenses back to its original pure liquid state. Contaminants in the water such as viruses, bacteria, organic and inorganic chemicals, heavy metals, cysts and other pollutants are removed. Distilled water is the best choice for you and your family, removing pollutants that can't be captured by simple filtration.

About the Author

Larry Wardell is with H2olabs.com, a provider of water distillers and water distillation systems. To learn more, visit http://www.h2olabs.com.

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