Packaged or mineral water, choose wisely

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 23

Every packaged water is not mineral water and the next time you lay your hands on a bottle or a glass of packaged drinking water, be aware. Lately, the Health Department destroyed packaged water that was unsafe for drinking and also sealed a unit dealing in packaged water since it was running without a BIS number. It has called for the attention of consumers to be aware before picking a bottle of water in scorching heat.

There is a difference between packaged mineral water and packaged drinking water because they both come from different sources and both have different standards for purification of water.

Mineral water contains minerals. The source of mineral water is natural, which means it is obtained directly from natural sources such as lakes, spring water etc. that are free from pollutants and is packaged hygienically. The water only goes through mechanical filtration and the composition of water is not changed and is packaged close to the source.

Packaged drinking water is sealed water obtained from taps, ground water such as borewells etc. it can be de-mineralised or disinfected so that it is safe for drinking. The testing for this type of water is more detailed.

District Health Officer Dr Andesh Kang said the department regularly keeps checking the water supplied in the market. “Many times, packaged drinking water without labels and batch numbers is destroyed by the department in large quantity. In addition to this, a unit located at Road Road near Pakhowal Road has also been sealed by the department since it was running without the Bureau of Indian Standard number,” she said.

Food Safety Officer Yogesh Goyal said: “The department time and again educates people regarding the difference between mineral and packaged water. People should be watchful before laying their hands on a packaged water bottle.”

Know the difference

Mineral water: Mineral water contains minerals. The source of mineral water is natural, which means it is obtained directly from natural sources such as lakes, spring water etc. that are free from pollutants and is packaged hygienically. The water only goes through mechanical filtration and the composition of water is not changed and is packaged close to the source. 

Packaged drinking water: Packaged drinking water is sealed water obtained from taps, ground water such as borewells etc. it can be de-mineralised or disinfected so that it is safe for drinking. The testing for this type of water is more detailed. 

What to look for 

• ISI mark 
• Batch number 
• Date of packaging 
• Date of expiry
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India number
• Address of the manufacturing unit 
• The seal of the bottle should be intact 
• Any floating particle by shaking the bottle upside down