Bottled water scare as dangerous germs found

swingking

from irish independent here

SHOCKING levels of contamination in bottled waters sold here are exposed in a confidential report by the State's food safety watchdog.

The draft report -- a copy of which has been seen by the Irish Independent -- reveals that harmful bacteria, including E coli, have been found in bottled waters on sale throughout the country.

Environmental health officers found 7.2pc of bottled waters they sampled for the report were in breach of either legal or EU guidelines.

They also found that one-in-every-11 samples of Irish-produced water tested positive for contaminants -- compared to just one in every 119 imported brand samples tested.

Last night the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) refused to explain why the results of the tests, which were completed almost a year ago, had yet to be published.

The findings of the research are set to alarm consumers and could dent confidence in the industry. Irish people drank 193 million litres of bottled water, with a retail value of €205m, last year.

Environmental health officers tested 960 samples of spring water, natural mineral water and other bottled waters as part of the research and the results were described as a "cause for concern".

They found:

l 6.3pc of samples, or one bottle in every 16 tested, contained coliform bacteria, indicating that the water had possibly been contaminated with faeces.

l 1pc of the samples were found to contain E coli, a primary indicator of faecal contamination.

l 7.2pc of samples, or one bottle in every 14 tested, was in breach of either legal or guideline criteria.

l Domestic samples were of poorer quality than those from imported waters. 8.9pc of domestic samples tested contained coliform bacteria, compared to just 0.84pc of imported waters.

l The microbiological quality of still waters was generally worse than for fizzy, with 7.7pc of still samples, or one in every 13 bottles, containing coliforms, compared with just 1.3pc of fizzy waters.

The bottled waters used in the tests were purchased all around the country from supermarkets, corner shops, hotels, restaurants, pubs, vending machines and ethnic stores.

The water sampling took place between September and December 2007. According to the report, laboratory results were forwarded to the FSAI within three weeks of the survey completion date.

The names of the individual water brands tested were not revealed in the confidential document.

A spokeswoman for the FSAI told the Irish Independent she was unable to say why the report had not yet been published. "All I can say is that the report is still in draft format and is not due out until the end of this year or early next year. I cannot comment further," she said.

It is unclear at this stage whether any company will be prosecuted as a result of the tests.

Cleanliness

Under EU regulations on bottled water cleanliness, signed into law in Ireland last year, breaches are punishable by fines of up to €5,000 or a three-month prison sentence for cases taken at district court level.

More serious offences, dealt with in higher courts, are punishable by fines of up to €500,000 and up to three years in jail.

The report stated that environmental health officers had taken "follow-up action" in light of the results. It also said the FSAI had met with industry representatives to discuss long-term control measures.

Irish bottled waters are quality assured by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). However, the report stated that revision of the NSAI standard may be necessary.

It also recommended that manufacturers install effective means of treatment to ensure their water is free from contaminating organisms.

The report also recommended that environmental health officers include bottled water in their routine sampling work.

Despite the findings of the report, the FSAI website lists only two public alerts in relation to bottled water in the past two years. Last July two batches of Pure Spring Natural Still Water were recalled after the HSE found that supply water had been contaminated with faeces and was unsafe.

In March 2007, batches of a Lithuanian mineral water distributed from Cork were withdrawn from sale. The batches of Vytautas Natural Mineral Water were found to have traces of arsenic and lead.

Although the levels were above those allowed by regulations, they were small enough not to pose a danger to the health of consumers.

Consumption of bottled water in Ireland has ballooned in recent years -- going from 113 million litres in 2001 to 193 million litres last year. The average person now drinks 44.9 litres of bottled water per year, compared to just 29.3 litres seven years ago.

:eek: I don't think I'll be buying bottled water for a while yet!!!!

seanybiker

i dont buy bottled water so i be grand.

Xavi6

I only drink tap water anyway. Why buy it when it comes out of a tap for free?

Victor

This compares with about 99% of town water being acceptable.

seanybiker

Xavi6 wrote: »

I only drink tap water anyway. Why buy it when it comes out of a tap for free?

exactly

Zillah

Some of us live in Dublin where the water tastes like a swimming pool. Some of us are also out and about during the day and can't fit piping systems in our pockets. So yes, some of us apparently have been drinking water contaminated with faeces.

Xavi6

Zillah wrote: »

Some of us live in Dublin where the water tastes like a swimming pool. Some of us are also out and about during the day and can't fit piping systems in our pockets. So yes, some of us apparently have been drinking water contaminated with faeces.

Lived in west Dublin for 21 years and all I drank was tap water. Tasted perfectly fine.

Zillah

Apparently you have no taste buds.

antodeco

Contaminated with faeces?
Thats sh1tty.

DonkeyStyle \o/

They need to name and shame tbh.

Zillah wrote: »

Some of us live in Dublin where the water tastes like a swimming pool.

+1

Ghost Train

I'm kind of suprised that these levels are so high... what do the eu say is the legal percentage of faeces we can be left in our water.... do they not have to say this on the bottle... trace amount of faeces or Recommended Daily Allowance of faeces... I've totally gone off water now

Cuddlesworth

Most bottled water is filtered tap water, so where's the **** coming from?

4zn76tysfajdxp

Zillah wrote: »

Some of us live in Dublin where the water tastes like a swimming pool. Some of us are also out and about during the day and can't fit piping systems in our pockets. So yes, some of us apparently have been drinking water contaminated with faeces.

Oh yeah? Well here in Galway the water is...uh...um...ah crap.

Macha

Zillah wrote: »

Apparently you have no taste buds.

Apparently you've never heard of Brita

People whine and stamp their feet over the potential double taxation of water charges and then they go out and buy bottled water. Total hypocrisy. (not saying that's you Zillah)

Victor

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Most bottled water is filtered tap water, so where's the **** coming from?

Apparently some of the bottling plants aren't great.

ejmaztec

Victor wrote: »

Apparently some of the bottling plants aren't great.

The sh1t must have hit the fan, a common technical problem in bottling plants.

mcauley

ejmaztec wrote: »

The sh1t must have hit the fan, a common technical problem in bottling plants.

hal9000

Great ....in galway we had the choice of leaded or crypto water. now they say bottled water is literally "full of crap"

ejmaztec

Wouldn't it now be healthier to become a chronic alcoholic?

Mark200

I buy bottled water occasionally. Obviously I get it at home for free, but amazingly I'm not always at home or near a tap when I'm thirsty.

Would have probably bought a bottle today with my lunch, not going to now after reading this. That's what you get for trying to stay healthy

SimpleSam06

Oh yeah we're getting it coming and going in the West at this stage.

My plan is we start boiling politicians until the supply is free of contaminants.

ejmaztec

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

My plan is we start boiling politicians until the supply is free of contaminants.

No amount of boiling will ever get rid of that amount of sh1t - we'd die of thirst waiting.

Scarinae

Update on this from the Irish Times Website, posted at 15:06 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1117/breaking55.htm

Irish consumers should not be concerned about the quality and safety of bottled waters on the market, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said today.

The statement comes after a media report that claimed high levels of contamination were found in bottled waters surveyed by the State’s food safety watchdog.

The FSAI said its draft report on the safety of bottled natural mineral water, spring water and other waters in 2007 revealed that one per cent of the waters surveyed had traces of E.Coli and 6.3 per cent were found to contain coliforms.

Coliforms are a group of bacteria that indicate standards of hygiene at the water source or during the bottling process are poor. However the FSAI say their presence in bottled water does not necessarily indicate a risk to consumer health.

It said it was concerned about the levels of E-coli detected but said its environmental health officers took ‘swift action’ by withdrawing a number of bottled waters from the market and taking corrective actions in the bottling process.

However when contacted this afternoon, a spokeswoman for the FSAI declined to name any of the products that were withdrawn.

The full report on bottled waters is due to be published shortly.

Fine Gael has called for the companies involved to be named and shamed. Its spokesperson on food Andrew Doyle said it was completely unacceptable the public were being kept in the dark.

“These tests were carried out almost a year ago but instead of making their findings public, the FSAI kept ‘schtum,’” he said.

“At this stage, all information must be immediately released and the brands that tested negative must be named and shamed.

“At the very minimum last year, the entire batch of contaminated water should have been recalled and the public informed. It is simple not good enough that this did not occur and the FSAI as well as the National Standards Authority of Ireland have serious questions to answer,” he added.

Scawgeen

hal9000 wrote: »

Great ....in galway we had the choice of leaded or crypto water. now they say bottled water is literally "full of crap"

There's a 'Galway' spring water on sale in a few of my local shops, it's in a very plain green and black labled bottle, I choose it over the other well known brands simply because it tastes like water should taste. The old people say it tastes like the spring water they had as children when there was a pump at every crossroads. I used to drink Ballygowan but it doesn't seem to have the 'bite' it used to have it tastes like it's been softened.

af_thefragile

Bear Grylls has taught me your stomach can take a lot more than you think its capable of.
So go on and drink it all, nothing's gonna happen to ye!!

Capt'n Midnight

sugarman wrote: »

AFAIK.. On average the drinking tap water in London has been consumed on average 20 odd times..

In other words.. drank.. shat/p1ssed back out.. threated and back into the tap..

Same goes for here im sure..

20 times ?
link please, IIRC it's only 3 or 4 times
and only 30% of the rainfall in south east england comes out the taps

Tap water has to undergo a greater variety of tests than bottle water.

Bottled water has different grades, spring water gets more tests than mineral water and it's quite legal to sell tap water as long as you don't claim it came from spring.

Bottles are usually made from plastic which leaks small amounts of plasticiser over time. Remember Ballygowan - 800years in the making, but the sell by date is a hell of a lot shorter


- Perrier had Benzine a Carcinogen
- Coca Cola = Dasani though they don't use that brand in Eu anymore as they got Bromate in it , another carcinogen

rhapsody!

I drink bottled water but it's not Irish. Scottish!!
You know what water is disgusting - tipperary, ughhh! xD

ArraMusha

The problem I have with this bottled water craic is that the Food safety authority have not confirmed that the problem was contained back in 2007. Anyone might have a bottle in the fridge from 2007 that would leave them on the pot for a week if they swollied it. They should have came out and named the company straight away...isn't that what they're there for. Brown envelopes maybe. They should also state the serial numbers of the bottles or datecode range aswell. It's all a load of ould daggins under the carpet.

Focus6

I am hating on this country something rotten.

Am going to go pee and poo in the local bottled water factory....oh wait, looks like someone else already has.

Is there no end to how fcuked up this country is?

Wurly

Oh f*ck - well im screwed then. I always drink bottled water.

Tap water tastes like sh1te

Lirange

But my Ballygowan Bogwater goes best with my curry.

sunnyjim

Tri wrote: »

Oh f*ck - well im screwed then. I always drink bottled water.

Tap water tastes like sh1te

Well, about 6% of all those bottles your drinking should technically taste like ****e

KnifeWRENCH

I always drink filtered tap water at home, but as I don't go carrying the Brita jug around with me, I often drink bottled water.

I usually drink Volvic (because it's the nicest) and I think (hope) that's bottled in France.

ART6

Simply goes to prove that water is for washing in, not drinking.For the latter purpose I prefer to stick to J. Arthur's products and a good Irish whiskey.:D

SimpleSam06

Domo230 wrote: »

Well ive been paying through the nose for **** my whole life so its not a big deal.

Yup, they finally found a way to sell our own shite back to us. Next up a fresh air tax, and we're all done.

Mark200

Did anyone see the big Ballygowan ad in today's Metro?

It said "PURE" and then at the bottom mentioned a FSAI test (possibly this one) and said that Ballygowan passed with flying colours.

xOxSinéadxOx

yeah I saw that ad in some paper today! I laughed at it

Red Sleeping Beauty

swingking wrote: »

from irish independent here



:eek: I don't think I'll be buying bottled water for a while yet!!!!

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