Growing sales of fake bottled water raise health concerns

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta

Demand for bottled water continues to increase in line with the continuing decline in sources of clean water. State-owned water company PDAM, which relies on surface water like rivers and lakes, can no longer meet the growing demand for clean water, while underground water sources are vulnerable to contamination and the effects of overpopulation.

Little wonder then that there is a steadily growing demand for bottled water.

According international research company Zenith, Indonesia has joined the world's top ten in the sales of bottled water, with consumption reaching nearly 5,000 million liters in 2000. During the year, Pakistan had the fastest growth at 140 percent, followed by Indonesia with 63 percent.

The sharp growth in the demand had led to the emergence of illegally produced bottled water in the country. Illegally produced bottled water products have mushroomed, with many of the products reportedly being sold in kiosks and on the street.

A survey of illegally produced bottled water conducted by the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) between 1997 and 1998 showed that the producers of these illegally produced products used tap water or ground water which was not processed properly.

This violates the existing regulations on bottled water processing standards, as stipulated in the Ministry of Decree No. 167/1997. Under the decree, bottled water is required to be processed and bottled to ensure that it is safe for consumers to drink.

"Based on our physical observations, the water looks dirty and contains sand. With the absence of the required filtering substance as used in properly processed water, the counterfeit bottled water is, definitely, vulnerable to contamination," Sularsi, a spokesperson from the YLKI, told The Jakarta Post.

The lawbreakers usually employ a simple purification system to process groundwater before bottling it in used plastic bottles purchased from scavengers. They then label the bottles with plastic wrappers bearing the names of several leading bottled waters.

In many cases, the water, mostly sold on the street and from kiosks, contains tiny white particles or has a thin layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

"The bottled water produced and distributed in Indonesia should meet the existing regulations and conditions as specified in the SNI-AMDK national standardization," the Food and Drug Agency (POM)'s director of food inspection and certification, Moch Ma'roef, told the Post.

Because the quality and safety have not been guaranteed or evaluated, the unregistered bottled water can have harmful effects on the health of consumers.

"For example, the water may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria such as E. Coli, which can cause stomach problems like diarrhea," he said.

Budi Haryanto, a health expert at the University of Indonesia, and Made Astawan, the chairman of the Biochemical Laboratory of Food and Nutrients at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, told a Jakarta-based newspaper that the sterility of counterfeit bottled water products on the market was questionable.

Despite the absence of concrete data on the number of consumers made ill by drinking illegally produced bottled water, the experts believe that drinking contaminated bottled water will have considerably negative effects on the health of people. They say the physical and biological elements in the water will attack the digestive system.

"Usually, one who drinks contaminated bottled water will suffer from stomachaches," Budi says.

Even more dangerous is when the water contains chemical substances and zinc. Any chemical substances in the water will not only adversely affect the digestive system, but also will attack red blood cells, which could lead to anemia.

"If contaminated with zinc or especially mercury, (the water) can attack nerves in the brain," he said.

Made Astawan said the water contamination was caused mainly by the water used, not the plastic bottles.

YLKI has received numerous complaints from consumers, mostly about the quality of water of suspected counterfeit bottled water products, with many of these products bearing no company name on the label, registration number, or the market authorization license issued by the Ministry of Health and POM.

When a complaint is received, the foundation, along with the producer named in the complaint, conduct a test on the suspect water at an independent laboratory.

"If found to be counterfeit, the foundation acts as a witness for a complaint filed with the police," Sularsi, a spokesperson from the foundation, said.

The foundation suggests consumers not purchase mineral water in a bottle or cup that is covered in condensation, because under such conditions it is often difficult to ascertain the cleanliness of the water or spot any particles in the water.

"The hygiene of products covered in condensation is questionable," she said.

In addition, the foundation also advises consumers to thoroughly examine the plastic bottles the water comes in.

"If there are scratches on the bottle or the bottle appears old, you can be certain that the bottled water is illegal and should not be bought," she said.

And to prevent any bottled water, including legally produced water, from becoming contaminated, the water should not be exposed to direct sunlight because this can cause fungi in the water.

"Bottled water should be stored in a cool room, not close to smelly items such as petrol, insecticide spray or camphor because the plastic bottles have high smell absorption levels," she said.