Do not drink directly from the bottle: empty the content of the bottle to a glass, because there is a chance for food remains or microorganisms from the mouth to be transfered in the water. If you cannot place the bottle in the refrigerator, place it in a cool area away from the sun and any sources of contamination or odors. If you have bottles in a storage place, during their opening, clean thoroughly the opening of the bottle and then consume its content.

Water is the source of life. The human body depends on water, especially during summer. The choice of bottled water consist a choice of need during vacations, because in some places in the country and abroad, the tap water might bear health dangers due to lack of inspections. So make the correct choice.

Every bottled water is obliged by law to display a reference to the category which it belongs. References are also the images and symbols that exist on the label or at the colar of the bottle, the trademark of the food packaging, in which according to EU includes bottled waters.

All bottled waters are obliged by law to display the following references in their packaging:

• The name of sale of the product.
• The name of the water source.
• The Place of exploitation of the source.
• The Chemical analysis of the synthesis.
• The treatments, if any, performed during the bottling process.
• The Quantity of the content (volume).
• The Date of minimum availability (day/month/year).
• The Production batch.
• The Preservation conditions and usage of the product.
• Name and trademark of the producer.

References that are prohibited from displaying on the packaging:

• Anything that attributes therapeutic properties to the water.
• Phrases relating to the effects of the water in the human body such as 'Bolsters digestion' or 'Helps in lossing weight'.
• Phrases implying a property which does not exist, trying to mislead the consumer public.

What you must note when buying bottled water

Do not buy bottles which are not sealed or are broken. Inspect them thoroughly internally and externally. Report to hygiene authorities of your area anything odd you observe in the packaging and in the content.

Take note especially for the expiry and bottling Date, the chemical analysis, the contact telephone number of the company, the area of origin of the water and the type of the water.

Do not fill with tap water the bottle after you consumed all its content, because bacteria might have developed. It is better to buy a new bottled water.

According to what the is refered in the bibliography "Microbiology of aquatic environment" by M. Papapetropoulou and A. Mauridou - 2001:

Bacteria which are found in bottled waters are:

Α The indigenous bacteria which are part of the natural flora of the water. The increase of such natural flora has no effect in the health of the consumer, but if it reaches to very high numbers it can lead to vitiation of its organoleptic properties (odor, flavor, dimness).

ΒExternal bacteria which enter water during bottling or contamination of the water source. Usually they don't live for a long period inside water due to lack of nutrients. However there have been reports for epidemics related to the survival of pathogenic bacteria, protozoan or viruses in the water.

Water microorganisms are broken down in three categories according to their effect on the human body:

• Microorganisms that live in cooperation with the human body and have positive effect on the human metabolism.
• Pathogenic microorganisms which if they enter and settle in the human body they can cause illness.
• Potential pathogenic microorganisms who are pathogenic to specific categories of the population (children, ill people, overaged and immunosuppressed).

The application of the water disinfection process for the extermination of pathogenic microorganisms destroys at the same time the indigenous flora of the water in the source. The prohibition of any disinfection process of mineral water in accordance with the rigorous protection of the source and the strict observance of hygienics rules during the bottling process (high levels of area hygiene, machinery, personnel) ensure the preservation of the natural indigenous microbe flora which acts beneficially to the human body and avoids the contamination of the water.

A large number of studies showed that the microbe flora increases rapidly during the first two months after the bottling of the water, remains constant for the following six months and after that period starts to decrease in slow pace. The quality of water in the source, the bottling conditions and the potential processing of water, the type of the bottle and the storage temperature affect the growth rate of microbe flora. It is recommended that the bottle must be placed, after it is opened, in the refrigerator to lower the growth rate of the indigenous microbe flora.

In our country operates, since 1995, the National Program for Control of Bottled Water with the cooperation of the National General Chemistry, the ministries of Health and Development in accordance with the simultaneous operation of the Special Committee of Research and Inspection.

The purpose of inspections performed by the relevant authorities is the commitment of companies to produce safe and healthy products. Greek production units adapt, slowly but steadily, in implementing the quality audit system throughout all stages of production and to the analysis of critical production areas related to hygiene.

The major axis of the audit program are:

• On the spot audit and inspection of production companies.
• Inspection of the environment surrounding the source, production conditions and personnel.
• Sampling of the water before and after it is bottled, pet bottles/caps for chemical and microbiologic examination.
• Inspection of operation permits and laboratory analyzations.
• Planning of samplings products in the market in parallel with chemical and microbiologic examinations.
• Pointing out violations and relative recommendations after the inspections and the analysis results.
• Acts of the ministries of Health and Development for conformance to the current related legislation and the enforcement of sanctions.

It is worth mentioning that from the systematics inspections done, during the period 1995-2001, to all bottled waters in Greece, in total there were inspected 65 bottling sites of which 23 are for natural mineral water production and 42 for table water production. Relatively to bottled waters, a percentage of 2% was characterised as 'not normal' due to its contents. Plastic bottles for water packaging (PET and PVC) were characterised as 'normal' according to the Foods, Drinks and Common Usage Items legislation.

The inspection committee concluded that the quality of bottled water is exceptional and that the Greek and Foreign consumer can enjoy, with no fear, a healthy and safe product.

It is a matter of personal choices and taste preferences but also the need for something different from the tap water consumed by people for centuries. Results from researches undertaken in the near past showed that consumers believe that mineral water is safer than tap water but at the same time are concerned for its quality.

Specifically in Greece, bottled water slowly became accepted from the general public, however today it claims significant portion of the market share, taken from soft drinks or other carbonated drinks. Its domination is visible also from the advertising 'flood' we undertake from the mass media.

According to an IOBE study, done in 2000, from 1998 to nowadays the expenditure for advertising of the product were doubled, where as Greek companies spend approximately 1.5 billion GRD (4.4 million euro) per anum to advertise bottled water.

The trend for a healthier lifestyle in the Greek society of the eighties and nineties and the adoption of a western model of living led to the growth of that product. The gyms and diets became sudenly a way of life with direct inpact to the growth of consumption of water and reduction of consumption of alcohool and carbonated drinks.

However, Greece is far away from the European average. The per person consumption of bottled water is below the half of the Western European average. Champions are the Italians (150L) and following are the Belgians, Luxembourgians and the French. In last place are the British with eight litres per person.

As bottled is defined the water which is available on sale in sealed bottles. It is defined also as 'spring' or 'mineral' water and there is also the 'table' water (common drinkable packaged water). Furthermore it can originate from other aquatic sources, which become drinkable after special processing. For example, abroad, there are companies which bottle water for special groups of people, such as the hypotensive, those who suffer from constipation, are on a diet or exercise.

Table water. Is the water which is microbiologically suitable for drinking, originates only from subterrenean and is pumped from one or more natural or artificial exits of the source. It differentiates from common drinking water: a) from its natural composition, since it contains more minerals, micronutrients or other components (i.e. rich in magnesium, poor in sodium fluoride) and b) from its initial state which is preserved intact due to its subterrenean nature. Natural mineral waters are not allowed to be proccessed in any way which results in the alteration of microbe levels.

Natural mineral water. Is the water which is microbiologically suitable for drinking, originates only from subterrenean and is pumped from one or more natural or artificial exits of the source. It differentiates from common drinking water: a) from its natural composition, since it contains more minerals, micronutrients or other components (i.e. rich in magnesium, poor in sodium fluoride) and b) from its initial state which is preserved intact due to its subterrenean nature. Natural mineral waters are not allowed to be proccessed in any way which results in the alteration of microbe levels.

Spring water. Is the water of subterrenean origin, which is pumped from one or more natural or artificial exits of a source. It is bottled on its origin, does not undertake any dissinfection processing and its natural-chemical characteristics comply with those of common drinking water.