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International Bulletin - August 1999

H₂O, a formula for good health

Water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. It also contains potassium, iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium and carbonates... and sometimes bubbles. The world market for bottled water; which is dominated by the multinational companies Nestle and Danone, is a fast-growing sector, with an annual consumption of 80,000 million litres.

The definition of mineral water accepted by FAO's Codex Alimentarius, which is used as an international yardstick, says that natural mineral water is water directly extracted from the earth and bottled close to its source, with a stable composition and subject to as little processing as possible. This rules out water which is mineralized after extraction, water for medicinal purposes (which is often sold in chemists' shops) and water from the mains that is simply bottled.

The market for mineral water, which is synonymous with health and high quality of living, is also growing. According to figures provided by the specialized consultant Euromonitor, sales worldwide increased by some 25.5 per cent between 1993 and 1997, rising from 46,430 to 58,290 million litres.

In terms of consumption, the Italians and the French appear to be the peoples who are keenest on mineral water, since they consume more than 100 litres per person per year, twice the amount drunk by the Spanish (55 litres) and 20 times more than the Japanese (5 litres).

Mineral water is also trendy. It is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, and in some countries there are bars where only different kinds of mineral water are sold, as well as professional water-tasters whose job it is to appraise its qualities. By contrast, in many developing countries bottled water (often sold in large flagons) is a must, because of the poor quality of the mains water. The United Nations Development Programme's latest Human Development Report notes that if all the world's population had access to clean drinking water, two million lives a year would be saved.

Last Modified: November 29, 2002