Öko-Test tested 100 mineral waters, around half do very well, but there are also contaminated sources. Is your favorite water affected?
- Some swear by tap water *, others prefer bottled mineral water.
- The consumer magazine Öko-Test has tested 100 products - and detects contamination in every fifth source.
- Including pesticides, nitrate and uranium. Four medium-mineral waters tested even fail in comparison with the marks "poor" and "insufficient" .
Mineral water company criticized Öko-Test's test procedure
Update from June 16, 2020 : "The magazine Ökotest has also tested our mineral water Brohler Medium in the current June issue and wrongly rated this as faulty due to incorrect laboratory analyzes", the company Brohler Mineral- und Heilbrunnen GmbH has now reported to the editorial team . in the Öko-Test, the mineral water Brohler Medium was rated "poor".
However, the mineral water has been chemically and microbiologically examined by the Romeis Institute since 2010. Samples from April 8, 2020, which were examined for a sweetener content in the trace range , showed that the content was below the limit of quantification of the analytical method used. The examined samples therefore show no sweetener findings.
What are sweeteners and are they harmful?
Sweeteners are substances that produce a sweet taste, but provide almost no calories. They may only be used in foods if they have been tested and approved beforehand. In the labeling of foods, they are referred to as cyclamate, saccharin, acesulfame K, aspartame, stevioglycosides or sucralose.
According to the information center of German mineral water, sweeteners are harmless . It says: "Sweeteners have been very well researched and approved as additives in foods with specified, safe maximum levels in the European Union and in Germany."
Original message: Öko-Test checks 100 mineral waters for pollutants
The good news in advance: 51 medium-mineral waters scored "very good" in the test, another 14 were classified as good . But not all of the 800 recognized mineral springs in Germany, from which the mineral water in the supermarket comes, supply pure water.
The reason is plausible: Penetrates rainwater through the soil and rock strata to the source before it accumulates not only with minerals. Also, toxins can then get into the water, with features such as degradation products of pesticides, arsenic and boron Öko-Test has Have 100 mineral waters checked for such pollutants .
Too many pollutants: Known mineral water with grade 6
Too high levels of pollutants were detected in 18 of the sources tested, including too much nitrate, boron, uranium and pesticide breakdown products. The following four mineral waters with the marks "poor" and "insufficient" are therefore not recommended according to the Öko-Test :
- Anhaltiner Bergquelle Medium with "poor"
- Brohler Medium with "poor"
- Naturpark Quelle Medium with "poor"
- Apollinaris medium with "insufficient"
The following medium mineral waters are among the test winners with the rating " very good ":
- Adelholzener Gentle from the Adelholzener Alpenquelle
- Franken Brunnen Medium from the Franken Brunnen
- Residenz-Quelle Medium from the Bad Windsheim healing and mineral springs
- St. Leonhards Quelle Medium from the St. Leonhards Quelle
- Steinsieker Medium from the Brohler mineral and healing fountain
All Öko-Test winners can be found here
Also read : Sensitive sun creams at Öko-Test: Most products perform so badly .
Mineral water: "It's best to use reusable bottles"
For the most part, the assessment included the laboratory results with regard to ingredients that are harmful to health. " In the laboratories, we had the mineral water examined for problematic ingredients * such as uranium, arsenic, boron, vanadium and nitrate . (…) Higher nitrate levels, on the other hand, can also indicate an agricultural input. We also had water suitable for infants tested for radium isotopes . (…) If the original purity was impaired, we subtracted grades, "says the Öko-Test publication.
But the packaging also influenced the overall assessment. For example, reusable glass bottles have the best environmental footprint far ahead of recyclable plastic one-way bottles . Öko-Test advises: "It is best to use reusable bottles. The glass bottles are refilled up to 50 times". Reusable PET bottles can be refilled up to 25 times.
Read more : Incredible story: Woman drinks three liters of water every day for four weeks - that's what she looks like.
jg / sca
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* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network .
