Coca-Cola sells bottled tap water

CBBC ^ | 02 March 2004 | CBBC

[fraud]

A big row has broken out after Coca-Cola admitted its latest bottled drink is purified tap water.

The drink - called Dasani - costs 95p a bottle. A lot of bottled water comes from a spring, but this is tap water which has been filtered and treated.

The product has annoyed the people who supply the UK's water. They think it implies that tap water is impure.

Coca-Cola said: "We would never say tap water isn't drinkable. It's just that Dasani is as pure as water can get."

Popular

The company is spending £7m on launching Dasani, which has become the second most popular bottled water in the US since going on sale there in 1999.

UK water industry representatives say people do not need to buy Dasani to get "excellent quality, healthy water".

-----

UK: Coke under investigation for Dasani

03 Mar 2004

Source: just-drinks.com editorial team

Coca Cola is under investigation by British Trading Standards officers following the media furore about its new bottled water Dasani. As reported yesterday, British media went into overdrive when Coke revealed that its Dasani water is sourced from the mains supply at its plant in Sidcup, Kent.

The Independent reported today that the Food Standards Agency said that the water may breach rules designed to protect consumers. Concern revolves around the fact that Dasani is sold as “pure, still” water, but this may be incorrect, the paper said, as minerals are added in the production process.

FSA guidelines state that the term “pure” should only apply to “single ingredient foods or to highlight the quality of ingredients.” Coke adds calcium, magnesium and sodium bicarbonate to the tap water, however.

Coke said it's confident it's abiding by the local rules.

"We work closely with all regulatory bodies and in this instance we are fully satisfied that we are compliant with all guidelines and regulations," the company said in a statement.

[Judith Anne]

I drink Dasani at work. The water at the hospital tastes like city water, to me, and the Dasani is closer to the taste of my well water.

[leadpenny]

Dasini has been a big contributor to the Imus Ranch. Don has been slamming them since Monday. Says he won't drink anything that comes out of a faucet in the south of London.

Welcome to FR.

[fraud]

To my impression more chlorine is added US than to UK city water.

[Agnes Heep]

Next they'll discover that Budweiser is some kind of beer.

[Leroy S. Mort]

And flouride. That's why on the one hand we have better teeth than the Brits, but on the other, a large percentage of our population has been turned into brain addled Democrat-voting zombies.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I always ejoyed the fact that Evian is naive spelled backwards.

[BunnySlippers]

I don't know what the uproar is over. Coke has been upfront from the beginning as to how the water is made. It's been filtered a gazillion times fer cripes sake.

[JimVT]

Maybe they ought to give the L7m to Imus...to shut him up about their water which he says is drawn from the Thames with heads of old prostitutes floating by.

[Paradox]

I guess this is news to most people, but it has been public for a long time actually. Many bottled waters used tap water as their source.

[fraud]

The water does not need filtering. It is already filtered by public services. And they provide it for 0.06 c/liter, less than 1/3000 the Coke price.

[Lazamataz]

Coca-Cola sells bottled tap water

So, if I fill up a bottle of water from my tap, will the RIAA try to get me for copyright infringement?

[savedbygrace]

Next they'll discover that Budweiser is some kind of beer.

You sure about that?

[Wombat101]

This is a secret? IT's New York City tap water (which by the way, is considered gourmet water in France). It's bottled in Queens, New York.

If I remember correctly, Dasani uses a filtration method to remove the chemicals from the water, treats it again, and then puts the chemicals back in somehow. Not a very scientific explanation, but there ya go.

For anyone out there that has ever heard "You can't get decent pizza/bagels/soup, etc. outside of New York, now you know why --- it's our heavily chlorinated, sometimes-carried-in-wooden-pipes water.

[Agnes Heep]

You sure about that?

Hmmm......

[Prodigal Son]

Says he won't drink anything that comes out of a faucet in the south of London.

That might be good advice. Here in Scotland, though, the water that comes out of the tap is very good. I prefer it.

[BunnySlippers]

Maybe your public water doesn't need filtering, but MINE does. No one in LA would drink water out of the tap although it does vary by location.

Coke filters the water many times taking all of the impurities out ... then adds minerals. Having said that I don't like Dasani. I usually by Arrowhead Water by the case.

[The Great RJ]

This is hardly news--many "bottled" waters are exactly that--filtered tap water. However, filtering does make the stuff taste better and makes especially good coffee. Save your dollars--just buy a small on tap water filter at your local home center or hardware store and fill your own bottles or buy bulk de-ionized water at your grocery using a refillable jug.

[savedbygrace]

Sounds like you need to do some more research on the subject. ;-)