Experts raise concerns on bottled water consumption – ekasi news
Current heat wave may increase threat of microbial growth in plastic holders, posing health pitfalls similar as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid
Food safety adviser has advised the public to guard the coming time they drink bottled water as it could be defiled.
Mohd Nur Azim Shahuddin said bottled water kept in vehicles and stored in shops could be susceptible to chemical filtering, microbial growth and declination of taste and mineral content.
“This is especially so with the current heatwave, which may increase the threat of chemical filtering from plastic bottles that are generally used to hold water.
“Implicit health pitfalls could include cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid”
Nur ‘ Azim also said bottled water transported in lorries is generally packed in cartons to cover it from direct sun but those packed in plastic wrapping should be transported in unrestricted vessel lorries and not oil- covered bones.
“This will insure transporters maintain the integrity and quality of bottled water during conveyance, so safe and satisfactory products are delivered to consumers,” he said, adding that the ideal temperature for storing bottled water is between 20 °C and 24 °C to maintain its quality and safety, help plastic declination and reduce the threat of chemical filtering.
“Also storing bottled water in the refrigerator is a common practice and generally recommended to maintain its newness. Still temperature oscillations when storing plastic bottles in the refrigerator increase the filtering of chemicals similar as antimony and others into the water.
“While the quantum of antimony leached is generally safe according to nonsupervisory norms, repeated refrigeration and room temperature transitions will increase the threat of similar filtering.”
Nur ‘ Azim suggested consumers use glass or pristine sword bottles for long- term refrigeration since the former is non-chemical reactive while the ultimate is “less prone” to chemical filtering.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Food Science and Technology experimenter Naziruddin Mat Ariffin said exposure to direct sun of between 32 °C and 40 °C should be avoided.
“This is because similar temperatures could promote the growth of microorganisms similar as algae and bacteria, which deteriorate the quality of bottled water”
He said the prolonged exposure of UV radiation to the polymeric material in plastic bottles, including polyethylene terephthalate bottles, which are used to pack bottled water, makes it susceptible to photochemical ageing.
“The filtering of chemicals from these bottles can worsen with advanced water temperatures caused by exposure to sun. The public and retailers are advised to insure proper storehouse of bottled water to minimise the threat of impurity”
He said storehouse temperature and duration directly affect the rate of chemical filtering from the plastic bottles into the water and pose a major health concern.
“Studies verified the filtering rate rises in tandem with the increase in temperature. also, a longer storehouse duration will affect in advanced situations of chemical filtering,” he said, adding that the Malaysian Food Regulations 1985 doesn’t bear manufacturers to include an expiry date on bottled water.
“Still in 1987, New Jersey in the US introduced legislation calling bottled water must carry an expiry date of lower than two times from the manufacturing date.
“This has since come an unofficial standard for manufacturers. But consumers must continue to remain watchful for any strange smell, metallic taste, froth, unusual cloudiness or colour change in bottled water as these could indicate the presence of microorganisms.”
He said while consuming bottled water beyond its expiration date is generally safe, clinging to the recommended shelf life is advised to minimise implicit pitfalls.