Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
Update Date: 2009/07/09 13:43 (Reuters Washington, 8th)
A report released by the U.S. Congress today shows that bottled water manufacturers have convinced millions of people that their products are purer than tap water, but consumers are unaware that bottled water is less regulated than ordinary tap water.
The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to regulate the safety of bottled water, and even state governments that do have such authority prioritize regulating tap water safety.
This report is just one of the bombshells fired at the bottled water industry during a hearing held by the oversight subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The GAO report noted: "Particularly noteworthy is that even if violations of standards are found, the FDA lacks specific legal authority to require bottled water companies to use certified laboratories for water quality testing or to disclose test results."
Another report submitted to the committee by Jane Houlihan of the advocacy group Environmental Working Group stated: "Many people believe that bottled water is a healthier and safer beverage than ordinary tap water."
"Some companies promote the health benefits and unsubstantiated purity of bottled water, enticing consumers to avoid drinking tap water."
During the hearing, Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak said: "Americans are willing to pay up to 1,900 times more for bottled water than tap water, and the energy and transportation costs of bottled water can be up to 2,000 times higher than those of tap water."
"In recent years, there have been nationwide recalls of bottled water contaminated with arsenic, bromate, cleaning compounds, mold, and bacteria. It was reported that in April this year, more than a dozen California high school students fell ill after drinking bottled water from vending machines."
Joseph Doss, President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association, testified at the hearing that Americans consumed 8.7 billion gallons (33 billion liters) of bottled water last year, averaging 28.5 gallons (108 liters) per person. (Central News Agency translation)
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 090709/ 16/ 1mqvp. html
What's in the Bottle? Congress: Big Problem
A report released by the U.S. Congress today shows that bottled water manufacturers have convinced millions of people that their products are purer than tap water, but consumers are unaware that bottled water is less regulated than ordinary tap water.
The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no authority to regulate the safety of bottled water, and even state governments that do have such authority prioritize regulating tap water safety.
This report is just one of the bombshells fired at the bottled water industry during a hearing held by the oversight subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The GAO report noted: "Particularly noteworthy is that even if violations of standards are found, the FDA lacks specific legal authority to require bottled water companies to use certified laboratories for water quality testing or to disclose test results."
Another report submitted to the committee by Jane Houlihan of the advocacy group Environmental Working Group stated: "Many people believe that bottled water is a healthier and safer beverage than ordinary tap water."
"Some companies promote the health benefits and unsubstantiated purity of bottled water, enticing consumers to avoid drinking tap water."
During the hearing, Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak said: "Americans are willing to pay up to 1,900 times more for bottled water than tap water, and the energy and transportation costs of bottled water can be up to 2,000 times higher than those of tap water."
"In recent years, there have been nationwide recalls of bottled water contaminated with arsenic, bromate, cleaning compounds, mold, and bacteria. It was reported that in April this year, more than a dozen California high school students fell ill after drinking bottled water from vending machines."
Joseph Doss, President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association, testified at the hearing that Americans consumed 8.7 billion gallons (33 billion liters) of bottled water last year, averaging 28.5 gallons (108 liters) per person. (Central News Agency translation)
Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ art……url/ d/ a/ 090709/ 16/ 1mqvp. html