In Germany there are more than 800 mineral springs and consumers can choose from over 500 different mineral waters. By law, mineral water must come from underground sources, so they are protected from contamination. Of course, high quality is also expected. In the current test by ÖKO Test, 51 of the waters were rated “very good”, 14 were rated “good”, 20 were rated “satisfactory”, 11 as “sufficient”, three as “poor” and one as “inadequate”. .
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51 test winners – these mineral waters are safe
Among the test winners and mineral waters rated “good” are not only smaller waters but also well-known brands such as Fürst Bismark Medium , Gerolsteiner Medium , Vilsa Brunnen Medium , Vio Medium , as well as the own brands of Kaufland, Rossmann and Lidl.
Harmful ingredients detected
Contamination by questionable substances was found in the mineral waters that are considered “poor” or even “inadequate”. The other waters that were rated worse than “good” also contained
- degradation products of pesticides
- artificial sweeteners
- Boron and uranium
- packagings
- nitrate
Although there is no danger from the pesticides and sweeteners , according to the ÖKO test, the original purity is over.
It is different with uranium and boron . These two elements occur naturally in soil and rock strata, and that’s how they get into the water. However, uranium can accumulate in the body and damage the kidneys and lungs there. ÖKO Test therefore advises against the Water Nature Park Source Medium from Mainhardt, as it contains too much uranium. More boron than allowed was detected in the Apollinaris medium . According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the substance is considered to be harmful to development and reproduction.
