It's an oldie, but a goodie for the broadcast media - attacking bottled water, a legitimate product that produces billions of dollars in sales annually.
The September 10 "CBS Evening News" went after the bottled water industry, suggesting that a lack of regulations for purification and testing meant bottled water is unsafe.
"The marketing campaigns say it all - bottled water is a pure healthy choice for consumers and millions of Americans are swallowing that message," CBS correspondent Thalia Assuras said. "Despite research showing that almost 40 percent actually comes out of taps, including Pepsi's Aquafina, Coke's Dasani and Nestle's Pure-Life, consumers spent $11 billion last year buying it off the shelves, convinced it's healthier. Food safety experts say there is no evidence of that."
"Evening News" trotted an anti-industry expert to criticize the entire notion of bottled water - calling her a "food-safety expert."
"It's a scam. It's a rip-off," Wenonah Hauter, executive director of anti-business advocacy group Food & Water Watch, said. "Tap water is safer. It's required to be tested more often and bottled water companies never have to test their water after bottling and storage. You don't really know what you're getting."
The group, founded in 2005, opposes corporate involvement in food production.
Assuras used Hauter's claims to call for a more rigorous regulatory system for the bottled water industry.
"Blame the regulatory system," she said. "This tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which requires thousands of tests annually for contaminants. What's in here [bottled water] is monitored by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). But, the FDA has no specific bottled water program and no inspectors assigned solely to testing."
But if Assuras' earlier point - that 40 percent of bottled water comes from tap water - is true, then at least 40 percent of bottled water already faces EPA scrutiny. And she didn't mention that bottled "tap water" like PepsiCo's Aquafina, is purified before bottling.
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I love to see their cognitive dissonance on display
September 11, 2008 - 12:05 ET by c5then40% of the bottled water comes directly from an municipal water supply (tap water). But there is no saftey standards for bottles water like there are for municipal water system. Therefore, bottled water is less safe than the system it comes from??!!!
Is this CDS on display? (Corporate Derangement Syndrom)
As if Coke and Pepsi and Nestle added bacteria and viruses during their bottling to make their products intentionally unsafe.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
I think we need a new term for it
September 11, 2008 - 14:01 ET by mbuelLiberal Tunnel Vision.
They use pretzel logic to counter something that they are for the instance before.
Palin has accomplished great things, while Obama has continued to make empty promises that the world owes you a living.
Would they rather we drink soda?
September 11, 2008 - 12:10 ET by NBFHey, it's nice to be able to drink portable water that doesn't taste like CHLORINE. :P
Totalitarian "liberals" can't get their mind around consumer choice.
Ahh, the delightful Thalia Self-Assuras
September 11, 2008 - 12:11 ET by SickofLibsAhh, the delightful Thalia Self-Assuras returns with another panic-the-consumers story.
"Bottled water companies never have to test their water AFTER bottling and storage."
She's right, that is outrageous. Bottlers should have to submit to the same government oversight as, say, soup companies do. I should know - a guy knocked on my door last night, barged in and presented his Federal Soup Inspector credentials, went directly to my pantry and began opening soup cans at random.
Follow the Money
September 11, 2008 - 12:16 ET by GothampcCBS = liberal = Al Gore = Global Warming hysteria=water bottles in landfills
So?
September 11, 2008 - 12:27 ET by SouthernRootsI admit, I drink bottled water. But it has nothing to do with whether it is better than tap water.
I go to sporting events and, as long as the bottle is sealed, I can bring it to the game. It costs way less than bottled water at the stadium and it is cheaper than pop or beer. I could take a sports bottle, but it must be empty to get into the stadium.
When I rush out of the house, it is convenient to grab a water for in the car.
I also like having bottled water around as part of my 72-hour emergency kit.
99% of the time, my empties end up in the recycling bin. If this isn't good enough for the nanny-staters, maybe they can explain to me why I pay more for the recycling bin, but my empties still end up in the landfill........
The Mayor of Seattle (south of me) has banned bottled water on city property. I wonder what they have in storage for the 72-hour disaster plan.....
I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. - J.B. Books (John Wayne)
just wanted you to know
September 11, 2008 - 12:32 ET by ChuckM from PAI agree that we don't want/need more government bureacracy, ie more regulations. HOWEVER, it is important to let people know that bottled water is probably not a safe as tap water, because it is not regulated.
It also isn't widely known that it takes more water to make bottled water than it does tap water and then there is the issue of either disposing the bottle or reusing the bottle. Disposing the bottle is a problem for landfills and reusing the bottle has been found to be safe. The consumer needs to be aware of everything that is at stake when they buy bottled water.
There is really nothing "at
September 11, 2008 - 12:37 ET by SmartypantsThere is really nothing "at stake". This is an example of the media going haywire, creating an issue where there isn't one. Vitamin supplements are far more dangerous than bottled water; they too are unregulated and the usage and impact of the millions of these products out there is not even clear. Plastic bottles can be recycled and the whole "landfill" issue is also overstated.
It IS requlated
September 11, 2008 - 12:39 ET by CobraMan"HOWEVER, it is important to let people know that bottled water is probably not a safe as tap water, because it is not regulated."
Don't be fooled by CBS. Bottled water IS regulated by the FDA and the standards for bottled water are the same as for tap water as the FDA adopted the EPA‘s guidelines for water purity standards. See my earlier post for a link to documentation produced by Cornell University that describe the standards for all water sources here in America.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
EPA & FDA not the same.
September 12, 2008 - 12:27 ET by ChuckM from PAI would believe you, but my wife is in the environmental compliance industry and she says that bottled water is not regulated like "city" water is. Not all bottled water comes from regulated tap water, some from wells and some from streams/springs, so it is not necessarily regulated, at least not as strictly as EPA regulated water.
I read your Cornell article and am still not convinced that the EPA and FDA standards are the same.
I don't get this at all.
September 11, 2008 - 12:33 ET by SmartypantsI don't get this at all. If 40% of bottled water comes from tap water, doesn't that mean it's safe? And, if the message is that people are getting ripped off because they are paying for simple tap water, isn't that their choice? Isn't part of the appeal of bottled water just the convenience of being able to take some water with you wherever you go, or obtain some at places where drinking water is ordinarily scarce, like ballparks, arenas, public parks, etc.? There is no real danger here; there is no real public nuisance here; and there is no real consumer protection issue here. This is just an example of the leftwing media buying the concept that people are a bunch of ignorant sheep who have to be protected from themselves.
Personally, I drink a lot of bottled water, and I don't care where it comes from. Bottled water, in general, tastes better than tap water to me. I also love being able to take a cold bottle of water with me if I'm headed out somewhere. As a result, I drink more water which I think is a healthy practice. I spend a few extra bucks for this covenience, and it's well worth it.
Fools of the Media
September 11, 2008 - 12:34 ET by CobraManCBS Evening News is the headline act in the Fools Parade of the Media. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA as a food source (the standards for bottled water are the same as those for tap water) and, just like any other food source, that water must meet stringent regulatory standards before it can be packaged and sold to the public. Once it's sealed into a bottle (plastic or otherwise) it's just as safe as any other packaged food.
Perhaps CBS Evening News should refer to this document produced by Cornell University before making blanket accusation about the quality of our bottled water.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Get a Job
September 11, 2008 - 12:39 ET by flyingmonkeyThis is another example of the MSM trying to make the news instead of just reporting it. As far as I know, nobody has yet to be sickened by bottle water. We have all been sickened by the MSM however.
Why don't you news people go vet Barack Hussein Obama? That ought to keep you busy for at least a month.
I'm sick of the lies
September 11, 2008 - 12:47 ET by CobraManFor those of you who STILL don't get it, bottled water has been REGULATED by the FDA since 1938.
"Since 1938, the FDA has regulated bottled water as a packaged food under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). As a food product, bottled water must be packaged in sealed,sanitary containers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated the quality of public water supplies (tap water) delivered to consumers by their local utilities since 1974. By law, FDA regulations for bottled water must be no less stringent than the EPA’s regulations for tap water."
Source
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Yet another lie
September 11, 2008 - 13:02 ET by CobraMan"But, the FDA has no specific bottled water program"
This is yet another lie.
"In compliance with FDA regulations, bottlers must submit water samples, to either in-house or outside testing labs, to be analyzed for physical, chemical and radiological parameters on an annual basis.
For many of the analyses, such as those for inorganic chemicals, an annual schedule is more frequent than what the EPA requires for tap water. Bottlers test their water annually for some pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Bottlers may apply for and receive waivers based upon past test results, reducing the frequency of testing.
Bottlers must also test for the presence of bacteria at least weekly for each of their water products for all of the available packaging sizes. Many bottlers have in-house quality control laboratories that conduct a number of on-site tests that include an examination of daily bacteriological analysis, basic physical or chemical parameters, total dissolved solids, pH, turbidity, color and conductivity that may impact the taste of the water. In addition, every bottler must keep the results of their current testing data, which the FDA could ask for at any time."
Source
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
"It's a scam. It's a
September 11, 2008 - 13:04 ET by taznar"It's a scam. It's a rip-off,"
I agree. For me, 99% of the time it is a rip-off. So 99% of the time I don't buy it. Simple enough.
The thing is, it is really
September 11, 2008 - 13:18 ET by SmartypantsThe thing is, it is really not a "scam". Sure, there is some marketing involved, and any product that is marketed can be said to be a "scam" on some level. Bottled water is a convenience that people are willing to pay for. It's a great alternative to drinking sugary beverages when at a location that does not provide public drinking water. It tastes better than most tap water, because it is processed to taste better (most of it). If some brands take the water straight from a tap, so be it. That's not reason enough to disparage an entire industry.
Agree
September 11, 2008 - 15:05 ET by BradzillaI also am in full agreement with that statement. People are free to buy whatever they like, but bottled water is inherently a rip-off with about a zillion percent markup. I always thought it was more popular with libs but I could be mistaken; I'm far too frugal and pragmatic to buy it myself. Considering the cost is almost entirely markup, it was just a matter of time before someone went after "Big Water."
50 people DIE from drinking bottled water...
September 11, 2008 - 13:05 ET by upcountrywaterIf that happened then run the HIT pieces.
Coke and others run tap water through REVERSE OSMOSIS filters to remove disolved solids, additional filtration is used to remove tastes and orders. Ozone is used to leave a residual disinfectant to santize the water once it's sealed in a bottle.
There are about 1,400 tests one can make to water, to prove that there are "impurities" in water.. NO SUCH THING AS 100 % PURE WATER.
Hay TV Kooks; Can't get that carbon TAX, well hell lets tax water some MORE then! Pay for all them new inspecting jobs.This is your idea of growing the ecomony??
Liberals62%
IranianUranium
Did it occur to these
September 11, 2008 - 13:07 ET by Gat New YorkDid it occur to these "experts" that the very same water that goes into Aquafina and Dasani is the same water that goes into VitaminWater, Snapple, Sobe, AriZona, JuicyJuice, and every other noncarbonated and carbonated beverage? They also use the same PET bottles.
While municipal tap water in most markets is good, how does that help someone who buys a sandwich at work and wants a drink? Or helps a truck driver who has to stop off at a convenience store to get a beverage refreshment? Or a parent who needs to pack a lunch for their child for school?
I only wish the mainstream
September 11, 2008 - 13:23 ET by SmartypantsI only wish the mainstream media would apply the same standard of performance on themselves that they do on other industries. We've had a reporter for the NY Times completely making up his stories; we've had a major network news anchor, Dan Rather, relying on phony documents to nail a sitting president just before an election; we've had CNN essentially agreeing to filter news out of Iraq in exchange for exclusive coverage from Saddam Hussein's regime; we have most of the media in the tank for one particular presidential candidate under the guise of objectivity.
We have all of these transgressions, and I hear no call to "regulate" the media. I would hazard to guess the mainstream press is far more dangerous to the American way of life than bottled water. Give me a bottle of tap water any day over the likes of CNN, MSNBC or NBC among others.
Nutty, Nutty, Nutty
September 11, 2008 - 14:42 ET by ArtisteSo tap water once placed in a plastic bottle is no longer safe to drink? Where do these nutty folks come from? Frankly, I just like the idea that I can grab a bottle of water instead of some expensive sugary soda or or assortment of fruity drinks and ice teas on the market. Now those are really healthy being primarily sugar and salt, but whoa....don't drink the water. Water is of itself a healthier choice whether it's from the tap or a mountain spring. It all has to be purified. People need to get a grip.
How can people be so stupid?
September 11, 2008 - 23:56 ET by The7SticksAre you all convinced by the tin-foil-wearing weirdoes at WorldNutDaily that drinking tap water is going to harm you because it has fluoride in it? Fluoride is supposed to make your teeth stronger. Only morons would pay a dollar for something they can get for free out of their water taps.
I don't think there should be a bureaucracy on regulating water, but there certainly should be one that regulates stupidity. There is hardly any lick of difference between bottled water and tap water. Besides, only celebrities (yeah, I know that's an utter obscenity, but I'm sticking to it!) drink their bourgeoisie water, and nobody wants to emulate Hollywood celebrites, now do they?
The only way to stop people from being stupid is by shaming them. If you don't feel the least bit embarrased that you are being suckered in by the soft-drink conglomerates, I just feel sorry for all of you.
"Your bird intelligence is no match for my people intelligence!"
-Peter Griffin, Family Guy
I don't think there should be a bureaucracy on regulating water,
September 12, 2008 - 00:11 ET by R D HelmI don't think there should be a bureaucracy on regulating water, but there certainly should be one that regulates stupidity.
LOL-7Sticks, you better hope there never are any regulations on stupidity, as many libs would be in for a really rough time.
BTW, most government-run water systems are packed full of chlorine.
Drink up, pal. :-)
-Dave.