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Stiftung Warentester Silent mineral water often worse than tap water?
Mineral water is by far the most popular drink of the Germans, far ahead of fruit juice, beer, coke, coffee or tea. Always new mineral water come on the market here, which advertise with particularly valuable ingredients and justify their sometimes very high price. The Stiftung Warentest has therefore devoted itself to a recent study of the quality of mineral waters and compared them with the drinking water quality. The drinking water scored in this comparison considerably.
In 2015, the consumption of mineral water in Germany reached a new record high. On average, 147 liters per capita were drunk, while in 1970, it was still an average of 12.5 liters, reports Stiftung Warentest. The strongest growth was in the segment of still mineral waters, although non-carbonated water can also be had from every tap, Stiftung Warentest continues. In their current test, the experts examined 30 still mineral waters and drinking water samples from 28 German cities and municipalities to enable a comparison of the quality.
Silent mineral water promises a special quality, but tap water is often superior to the products offered. (Image: v.poth / fotolia.com) Drinking water of high quality
Once again, the research carried out by Stiftung Warentest confirmed that drinking water quality in this country is reaching a high level. "The test of drinking water samples from all over Germany proves: tap water has a good quality", so the announcement of the foundation. Add to that the unbeatable low price. "For a liter, including wastewater costs around half a cent due," says the Stiftung Warentest ... With this price mineral water can not keep up: Here had the cheapest in the test 24 cents per liter and cost the most expensive 70 cents per Liter. Also the Schlepperei with the bottles do away with the tap water and the environment benefits, since water from the cock does not have to be filled, packaged and transported.
Strict regulations for tap water
With regard to the quality specification, the demands on drinking water are sometimes significantly higher than for mineral water, according to Stiftung Warentest. Thus, the water suppliers are obliged to regularly check their water. In large farms, the investigation of bacterial load even several times a day. Drinking water is the "most strictly controlled food in Germany" and must be "of such good quality that someone can drink it daily all his life, without it getting sick. "For water from the line clearly more regulations than for mineral water apply, for example, in terms of the threshold values for pesticides and uranium, reports Stiftung Warentest.
Tap water in rinds with a lot of minerals
The mineral waters often promise a particularly high content of minerals, but this is according to the testers often a myth. Although the drinking water samples contained on average only about 380 milligrams of minerals per liter in the test, while the mineral waters came to around 790 milligrams. But when comparing the best tap water with the mineral waters, it was found that only a few products reached a higher mineral content. The smallest mineral content in drinking water was found at 78 milligrams per liter in the Harz city of Goslar, while the highest was at 786 milligrams per liter in the Lower Saxony town of Rinteln in the Weser-berg region.
High mineral content in mineral water a myth?
The value of tap water from Rinteln was exceeded in the test by only eight of the 30 still mineral waters, according to Stiftung Warentest. The highest value was achieved by the mineral water "Ensinger Sport" with 2,606 milligrams of minerals per liter. The water was able to score above all with its high content of magnesium, calcium and sulphate. Other mineral waters performed even worse than the tap water with the lowest mineral content. In the test, for example, the water "Black Forest" with 57 milligrams of minerals per liter reached even lower value than the water sample from Goslar. The minerals in mineral water are a myth in two respects: "On the one hand, that they are in high quantities and, on the other hand, that they are an essential mineral source for humans," according to the Stiftung Warentest.
Low loads with pesticide residues
Regarding possible burdens, the testers found that in three mineral waters residues of Ampa (amino-methylp-phosphonic acid), a major degradation product of the herbicide glyphosate, appeared. However, Ampa can also be produced from phosphonates of detergents, the Stiftung Warentest reports. Residues of other pesticides and their metabolites were found in about every second drinking water sample, but only in three mineral waters. All measured values are so low that they do not pose a health risk. Even with the nitrate content, the mineral waters were slightly better off than the tap water. Similarly, residues of drugs could be detected in the tap water, whereas none of the mineral waters contained such traces of drugs.
Boil water for infant food
The quality of the tap water is according to the testers in principle also sufficient for the preparation of baby food. However, anyone who wants to play it safe can also use mineral water, which according to the label is suitable for the preparation of baby food. Such mineral waters must meet particularly stringent requirements, for example on the nitrate content. The Stiftung Warentest advises, however, to boil such water as well, because all tested water types are not sterile. "To protect against germs, we recommend cooking them before preparing baby food," says the Foundation. This is also important for immunocompromised people such as cancer patients.
Taste an argument
One argument that may speak for the mineral water is the taste. In fact, water does not always taste the same and the taste of local tap water can not be changed. "If you do not like the drinking water at your place of residence, you can not change it - the mineral water already," emphasizes Stiftung Warentest. Also, the mineral water can sometimes be used for a targeted supply of certain minerals. "For example, calcium-rich mineral water can provide lactose-tolerant people and milk muffle with calcium," or mineral water with a high level of sulfate can help people with constipation, Stiftung Warentest reports. (Fp)