posted
Did any one read about the contaminated mineral water bottles in Egypt? Al-Ahram newspaper (Arabic- on Dec.26,2007) listed six brand names; could any one please type them for me in English?
Posts: 42 | From: Cairo- Egypt | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
The article in Al-Akhbar suggests that 'MINERAL' water does not exist in Egypt..all those bottles are filled with purified water from artesian wells.
Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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I never actually believed,that all the bottled water is MINERAL.I actually thought that or they r from wells or they r normal tap ones!Where the heck does so much mineral water exists?? K
Posts: 46 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2007
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That's why you have to drink coca cola or Pepsi when you are in Egypt. Posts: 2932 | From: Just now and then | Registered: Nov 2006
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Okay, I found a Reuters article regarding this subject and it states also Siwa and Baraka water bottles are in question - I believe these are the two most famous brands in Egypt!
Six water brands found unsafe in Egypt
Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency found six locally produced brands of bottled water, unfit for human consumption, agency chairman Said el-Alfy said on Wednesday, reported Reuters.
Egypt: 2 hours, 36 minutes ago
Alfy said at that a study financed by his agency and conducted over two months by the Central Egyptian Society for Consumer Protection and the Health Ministry took samples of 21 bottled water brands and discovered bacteria in six of them.
The study said the contaminated samples are the 1.5-litre bottles of Schweppes and el-Nada and the 19-litre bottles of Nahl, Aquastone, Aquamena and Hayat.
The study also found seven other brands were fraudulently labeled,meaning the ingredients on labels did not match what was in the water, but said they were still fit for consumption. Those include the 1.5-litre bottles of Baraka , el-Manar, Delta, Hayat, Aquamena and Nahl and 19-litre bottles of Siwa .
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement that it had formed an emergency committee to inspect the factories as soon as possible.
I would recommend to get in contact with the Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency and inquire which bottled water brand is indeed safe to drink!!
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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I think this is a very difficult task to do right now!
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Dora: I have been told be friends that Nestlé is the one of choice.
And Nestle is also contentious as the boycott that started in the 70s is still ongoing:
Nestlé boycott The Nestlé boycott is a boycott launched on July 4, 1977 in the United States against the Swiss based Nestlé corporation. It soon spread rapidly outside the United States, particularly in Europe.[1] It was prompted by concern about the company's marketing of breast milk substitutes (infant formula), particularly in less economically developed countries (LEDCs), which campaigners claim contributes to the unnecessary death and suffering of babies, largely among the poor.[2] Among the campaigners, Professor Derek Jelliffe and his wife Patrice, who had contributed to establish the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), were particularly instrumental in helping to coordinate the boycott and giving it ample visibility throughout the world.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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Newcomer, can you please elaborate more? There is a Nestle boycott going on in Egypt? Is it politically and/or religiously motivated? Is that why people don't buy enough Nestle yogurts either?
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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It is an ongoing international boycott that is promoted by humanitarian reasons. Nestle has a history of promoting its baby milk in poor countries, even giving free samples to mothers in hospitals, so the babies get used to the formula rather than breast milk. But when the mother's returned home, they could either not afford to continue feeding the children the expensive formulas or due to the fact that the water wasn't always clean enough it caused illness, and by that time the babies would not accept breast milk.
There are always substitutes for all their products, many of which are overpriced for the local market anyway.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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Yeah I've seen the explanation now, thank you.
But don't you think women who just delivered should not be given baby formula samples in the first place rather introducing them right from the start to breastfeed their own children? In this way the babies can't get sick or even die of contaminated water either.
I just think times have changed. Nestle has very strict regulations on how to produce their products. The same goes for Cadbury - I was kind of suprised to find Schweppes water listed as one of the contaminated bottled water brands.
You would think that especially these companies in Egypt - who produce under an internationally known and reputable label - are under a lot of pressure to offer quality products and are therefore also getting routinely checked.
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: But don't you think women who just delivered should not be given baby formula samples in the first place rather introducing them right from the start to breastfeed their own children? In this way the babies can't get sick or even die of contaminated water either.
Of course, that is the whole point of the boycott!
But mothers in many developing countries are still being sold the fallacy that western formula is better than breast milk, and Nestle has always been one company that has strongly promoted this idea for material gain, rather than humanitarian concerns.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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Yeah you are right, massenburg, it was a Danone spokesman that lately stated that Egyptians need to eat more yogurt - especially Danone ones of course - when football hero Zidane visited Egypt in October for charity purposes.
posted
The safest of all are Nestle..Aquafina and Dasani, they are all foreign and have a world-wide reputation to protect.. Now something nostalgic for Tigerlily..off topic, sorry. http://www.flickr.com/photos/askamelPosts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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Hey thanks, beautiful items indeed. I guess I should pay the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alex a visit at one point. I swear I didn't know it exists! Have you been there already??
quote:Originally posted by Tigerlily: [! Have you been there already??
[/QB]
Nope, but if ever I'll visit Alex. I must see it.
Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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Well I've seen another related article which stated that the museum is ready for re-opening (back in 2006). Make sure you confirm it's open before you go on your trip! And if you do give us a review afterward, mashy? Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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According to the National Water Quality Association, 56% of all people are worried about the quality of municipally treated tap water. This, along with the desire for better tasting drinking water, has fueled tremendous growth in the bottled water industry. We can all remember, not too long ago, when the bottled water section at the grocery store consisted of a very small allotment of counter space, primarily devoted to a few gallon jugs of distilled water. Today, bottled water enjoys a major section of the beverage isle and the prestige of being the fastest growing segment of the entire beverage industry, not to mention the most profitable.
The bottled water industry has become the target of some of the largest corporations in the world. Clorox Bleach Co., Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola are just a few of the recent entrees capitalizing on this highly lucrative market, with Clorox being the biggest participant in the bottled water business. Pepsi Cola’s “Aquafina” and Coca Cola’s “Dasani” almost instantly became each company’s most profitable product! If we just take a common sense look at the companies controlling this industry, who are certainly not known for their health consciousness, we will begin to understand the misconception that has been created around the quality of bottled water. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each week on advertising campaigns to give the perception that these bottled waters come from some pristine mountain spring, when in reality many of them come from a municipal water system just like your tap water does. Both Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke’s Dasani are bottled at one of many bottling plants across America where municipal water is used as the source, as is the case with many leading brands.
The regulations that govern bottled water only require it to be “as good as” tap water. There are no assurances or requirements that bottled be of any higher quality than tap, and according to some recent studies, it may often be of lower quality.
In March of 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report called “Bottled Water, Pure Drink or Pure Hype?” and petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for improvements in the FDA’s bottled water regulation program. The changes called for would simply require that the FDA’s bottled water rules be “no less stringent” than EPA’s tap water guidelines and “no less protective of public health”. NRDC ’s report points out that as much as 40% of all bottled water is actually tap water in a bottle.
The report also focuses on the fact that 60 to 70% of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is exempt from FDA’s bottled water standards, because the Federal Standards do not apply to water bottled and sold within the same state.
Only water that is transported across a state line is required to meet federal standards.
Bottled water companies have used this loop hole to avoid complying with basic health standards, such as those that apply to municipally treated tap water. Also, all carbonated or sparkling waters are completely exempt from FDA guidelines that set specific contamination limits.
According to the NRDC study, “even when bottled waters are covered by FDA’s specific bottled water standards, those rules are weaker in many ways than EPA rules that apply to big city tap water.” For instance, if we compare EPA regulations for tap water to FDA’s bottled water rules: (these examples are quotes from the NRDC’s official report)
* City tap water can have no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water). * City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water. * Most cities using surface water have had to test for Cryptosporidium or Giardia, two common water pathogens, that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems, yet bottled water companies do not have to do this. * City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); some in the industry persuaded FDA to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals. * City water systems must issue annual “right to know” reports, telling consumers what is in their water. Bottlers successfully killed a “right to know” requirement for bottled water.
The Natural Resources Defense Council report concluded that “Therefore, while much tap water is indeed risky, having compared available data, we conclude that there is no assurance that bottled water is any safer than tap water.“ (The NRDC report on bottled water can be found at NRDC.Org)
The reality of bottled water is that people pay from $1 to $4 a gallon for the perception of higher quality, when in fact, the quality of bottled water is at best “unknown”! We have no way of knowing the actual quality of bottled water. Point-of-Use water treatment, with a quality in home water filtration system, is by far the most economical, the most convenient and the most capable of producing the highest quality, healthy water. Removing the chlorine and other contaminants at the point of use, just prior to consumption, in your own home, with a system that is documented to produce “healthy water”… just makes more sense. With a home water filter you can have guaranteed quality for about .10 a gallon vs. $1 to $4 a gallon for bottled. Like the saying says… “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself “, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to something as important as our drinking water. http://www.waterwarning.com/bottlewaterfact.htmPosts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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Sensible article, above. I much prefer tap water to bottled water, on taste grounds alone. Although tap water is sweet, clean and safe, where I live, some people appear convinced that mineral water is superior. It seems insanely wasteful to haul water around the world, when many countries have perfectly decent tap water.
Posts: 1157 | From: Censor - Edit - Delete, but you will never take away my FREEDOM! | Registered: Dec 2007
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Wow and I bought a new brand of water this week that I had never seen before. Silly me. Also steer clear of some of the streetside "soda" vendors with the plastic bottls. I bought one assuming it was what it looked like, opened it and saw DIRT on the mouth of the bottle. EWW. I'll stick to the grocery stores I know. Funny how doctors still tell you to drink plenty of water around here.
Posts: 153 | From: Egypt | Registered: May 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Dzosser: The safest of all are Nestle..Aquafina and Dasani, they are all foreign and have a world-wide reputation to protect..
I use a water filter (in my house in Hurghada) from "British Berkefeld" http://www.faireyceramics.com/ maybe this is the safest solution after all!
Posts: 264 | From: Egypt | Registered: Aug 2007
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Karim, do you know the price of the 5-stage filter? I want to buy one for our house in Cairo.
Posts: 264 | From: Egypt | Registered: Aug 2007
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I think I paid like 1400. 4 instalments of 350, and got like few filters with it, and second year paid 250, and they will come and change all the filters for a year. To be honest nothing beats this filter. They did a test on tap water and wow what dirt it has, and also test on bottle water, and again there is dirt but less. IT comes with 10 liter tank, that is very useful if thereis no water, can help you in many things
quote:Originally posted by GM44: Karim, do you know the price of the 5-stage filter? I want to buy one for our house in Cairo.
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I guess I should pay the Royal Jewelry Museum in Alex a visit at one point. I swear I didn't know it exists! Have you been there already??![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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