France has been completely turned upside down by the Buitoni affair for several months now. The case that started it all. Since then, officials have been very cautious. From now on, water bottles must be the subject of a heightened alertness. The official website of the Ministry of Health warned consumers on May 11 that a brand of mineral water should be avoided at all costs. It was a Claudia sparkling mineral water 1.5 liters. But also the 0.5 liter natural sparkling mineral water from the Clavdia brand. This recall concerns these two products, since they can be dangerous for the health of consumers. And this, because of the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the water.
Water bottles under surveillance
For several months now, many products have been the subject of recalls throughout France. And the least we can say is that consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to place their trust in this sector. Because of the reminders that take place every week, the French no longer manage to know what to eat and what to throw away. If the food does very often the object of controlswe must also be very careful regarding water. Many French people prefer to buy bottled water to avoid contamination at the tap. However, the association Acting for the environment revealed a worrying observation.
According to this association, many bottles of water contain microplastics. Eight out of ten bottles would present contamination. For this study, Agir pour l’environnement called on the Labocea laboratory, which specializes in this research. The association thus revealed: Applying a particularly careful protocol, Labocea identified between 1 and 121 plastic microparticles per litre. In total, the laboratory has highlighted four different types of plastics ».
“We think we are buying pure water, but it contains plastic”
Act for the environment also revealed: Given their nature, it seems that most of these microplastics come from the bottle, the cap. And the bottling process “. Don’t forget to add: « Subjected to high heat and light, these water bottles could release even greater quantities of microplastics ». Certain brands are also subject to increased vigilance. The water bottles of very famous brands. To know : Badoit, Carrefour, Cristaline, Evian. But also Perrier, Volvic and Vittel. The “kids” bottle of this last brand contains 121 microparticles. A real risk for kids.
Magali Ringoot, member ofAct for the environmentsaid : ” For us, it’s a scandal. We are thinking of buying pure water. But it contains plastic ». However, this is not the only reason. She also announced: “The plastic has no place in bottled water. Additives are subject to industrial secrecy. So we don’t know what chemical cocktail we’re exposed to ». In its report, the association also indicates that the presence of plastic in the water constitutes a great danger for children. The reason is that children often drink from plastic water bottles. According to the association, great vigilance to protect the youngest becomes necessary.
The state must protect our health and the environment
Acting for the Environment announces: We cannot accept to let the bottled water manufacturers sell water polluted by plastic. But presented as supposedly ‘pure’ “. The association further added: And in addition 300 more expensive than tap water! The state must protect our health and the environment. Primarily for children. And this, by ensuring that the food chain is not polluted by plastic “. Finally, the association drew a conclusion on these water bottles. « We need to get out of disposable plastic ASAP. Start by banning plastic bottles “. One certainty, this report has not failed to bother many families.
And for good reason, more and more French people are buying bottled water to escape the bacteria that may be in the faucet. However, it seems that even water bottles have a danger to our health. It remains to be seen whether the industry will choose to speak out on the subject. The association also hopes that the State become aware of the issue. We will have to wait before knowing more!