Producers Of Drinking Water Stopped Misinforming The Buyer About The Composition Of The Product

Producers of drinking water (including mineral water) presented on the Russian market have almost completely stopped misinforming the buyer about the composition of the water. They now indicate the real mineral content. Recall that this happened after the research of Roskachestvo - having analyzed 206 brands of packaged drinking water on the country's market, the organization found inconsistencies in 65 of them. The research was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. According to the results of the study, experts identified two types of violations. The first is due to the discrepancy between the declared trace elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc.) with their actual content in water, the second is called "legal falsification" in world practice. This includes water, on the label of which there are no direct violations of current legislation, but the information it contains may mislead the consumer. For example, an indication of naturalness, eco-characteristics, visualization of natural images or trademarks indicating the alleged natural origin of the treated water. Also, many violations are associated with the indication of a category (highest or first) or a group of water that is not produced according to GOST. The division of water into categories is provided only by the state standard, but if the water is made according to the manufacturer's specifications, then the word "higher" on the label means nothing and is a marketing ploy. Thanks to research by Roskachestvo, most water producers have stopped using various marketing gimmicks, and the label on the bottle no longer misleads the consumer. After the publication of the results, 6 brands removed the indication of the category or group, since the water was not produced in accordance with GOST, and 11 manufacturers changed the information in the labeling on the content of trace elements or took corrective measures - said State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Viktor Evtukhov. Now, many manufacturers produce water according to standards that will expire on December 31, 2021. Starting from 2022, all packaged water will have to be produced only in accordance with the EAEU TR 044/2017 standards, according to which the absence of the word "natural" or water treatment methods would be a violation. When forming the water rating and studying the label, Roskachestvo was guided precisely by the new technical regulations.