Every year the number of manufacturers producing bottled water is only growing. The store shelves are full of various labels, offering us to buy water not only to quench our thirst, but also to make up for the lack of minerals in the body. However, how to choose the water that is the most useful and high-quality?
When choosing water for a cooler, you need to make sure that bottled water meets all the necessary requirements of GOST. It should not contain flavors, sweeteners, or other food additives. The exceptions are essences and extracts of natural origin, which do not exceed 1 weight percent of the total water composition.
Types and categories of bottled water
There are 3 types of bottled water. Among them are fresh drinking, natural mineral, as well as artificial mineral. Fresh drinking water is water that has undergone artificial filtration and purification, where all harmful substances are destroyed by subsequent chemical treatment or exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The composition and concentration of these substances per 1 liter must be indicated on the label.
Natural water is extracted from mineral wells, springs, artesian springs, which must be indicated on the label with water.
And, finally, artificial mineral water is enriched with micro and macro elements, as well as mineral salts by artificial means, which should also be indicated on the label.
Bottled water is also divided into 2 categories: first and highest. Water of the first category indicates its safety for consumption. Water of the highest category is subjected to various tests, with the help of which it can be revealed that water is not only safe, but also useful, and is enriched with all the declared micro and macro elements.
Water composition
Depending on the purity, aquatic life, type of production and purification, the composition of the water may be different. For example, fresh water can be classified by hardness, pH, and organoleptic.
So, the pH should be equal to 7. If this indicator is higher - the aqueous medium is alkaline, lower - acid.
Water hardness is another important factor. It is determined by the presence of salts of alkaline elements in it, such as calcium and magnesium. A high concentration of these salts makes the water hard, low - soft. Water hardness can also be indicated by plaque formed on the inner walls of the kettle after it is boiled.
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Water quality can largely depend on the material of the bottle. So, bottled water is bottled in bottles that are made of either polycarbonate or polyethylene containers. A bottle of polycarbonate in this case is the safest, because It is chemically neutral and does not react with water. Water in such a bottle is able to maintain its beneficial properties up to 12 months.
As for plastic containers, water can begin to come into contact with it after 2-3 months, which can significantly affect its composition and lead to unpleasant consequences when taking such water, up to serious poisoning.
What should be on the label
When choosing bottled water, you should definitely refer to its label. It should indicate not only the address and name of the producer organization, but also the type of water, its category, as well as, of course, the composition. In addition, pay attention to the expiration date and date of issue, even if the courier reports that the water was spilled literally a couple of hours ago. The shelf life of bottled water in a plastic container is from 3 to 18 months.
If the expiration date has already expired or the above information is not on the label, you should refuse to buy such water.
