Why does mineral water that has “trickled through mountains for centuries” go out of date next year?

Answer 1

For as long as it's trickling through the mountain, it's clean and not exposed to atmospheric pollution. Then it comes up in a spring, gets pumped into a factory and put in bottles - and gains all sorts of bacteria, yeasts and algae on the way. Try keeping a bottle at room temperature for a few years and see what colour it goes.

Answer 2

Well it has nothing to do with the bottle material as such and they dont use pvc for bottled water. Bottled water is sold either in pet or glass but neither contaminate the water and result in a shelf life. The closest correct answer is old know it all because until the water appears at a spring or well, there is usually no source of contamination. Occasionally there are pollution incidents which threaten or pollute underground water and these are very serious because it can take a very long time (as in hundreds of years) for a polluted aquifer to recover. Pollution may be chemical or it could be biological. Just look at the current news about the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK to see how critical biological containment is. To market bottled drinking water it has to be demonstrated to be "wholesome" at the time it is bottled. This does not mean 100% sterile but almost. Often the bottled water we buy off supermarket shelves is exactly the same basic water as we get through our taps but tap water is treated with residual chemicals such as chlorine and/or chloramine to make sure that the water is still free of bacteria when it comes out of our tap. It is this chlorine / chloramine which can give tap water a nasty taste (more noticeable is some areas than others) and bottled water does not contain any of these preservatives so the taste is perceived to be better. However, because no preservatives are added to the product and because it has moved from "clean" underground to being exposed to light, oxygen and ambient temperature it is probable that bacteria and viruses can begin to grow in the water. Hence the dated shelf life. There was an interesting program on tv last year (how clean is your house, I think) which showed an analysis in a health club of things like towels and drinking bottles. The worst biological contamination was found on the drinking teats of the "sports" bottles which were used and refilled and used and refilled and used and refilled, each time with (assumed) sterile liquid but the bottles and teats were never properly sterilised and were grossly contaminated. Bottled water is a bit of a rip-off as it is no "cleaner" than tap water (normally and excluding cases where the tap water is polluted such as in the recent uk floods). It does taste better as a rule but then filtering your tap water through a brita filter or equivalent and storing in fridge overnight will give you a very good and safe drinking water supply.

Answer 3

When water is flowing, it is harder for bacteria to form colonies, because the flow hinders them from sticking together with the slime they produce. By sticking together the bacteria protect themselves from their environment making reproduction more successful.

When water is still they are able to stick together and reproduce and survive easier than if the water was constantly flowing.

A bottle of water will not be completely sterile. It may only have a few bacterial particles present and for a long time their numbers won't increase enough to pose a risk of poisoning. After a enough time, the water will become stale, when there are enough bacteria present to cause a gut infection.

Answer 4

Ahh, Very good question.
Well See.. What companies are trying to do is to stop you from leaving it in the open weather when its already opened.
When you open a Bottle of M Water or even Coke, Theres a protective gas called Pertigauzes. This Gas is proven to stop the drinks going all manky and yucky.
So i guess its all in your health. =D
[And probably the companies Pocket!]

Answer 5

Nothing wrong with the water, it's the plastic bottle that goes out of date because of plastic goop leaching into the water.You'll probably find Perrier in a glass bottle has a longer shelf life than anything in plastic.

Answer 6

Because an expiration date is common on such products to keep stock rotated. I"m sure it's fine even outdated, albeit a bit plastic-ky smelling or tasting.

Answer 7

It's the plastic bottle that the water is in.

This is also why you shouldn't reuse your plastic bottles once finished with them. Nor should you put most plastic containers in a microwave unless it's deemed "safe".

Answer 8

because of the plastic bottle, not the water. Oh and they want you to buy more...

Bottled water is the biggest farce ever put on the American People. People in other parts of the world drink bottled water because its the only water that is SAFE to drink.

Our tap water is VERY safe here in the US..safest in the world. Taste is subjective.

We drink bottled water here because we've been led to believe somehow it's better than tap or well water (not necessarily true). All the while, we ***** about $3.00 a gallon gas, we freely spend $1.50- $2.00 a PINT (8 pints to a quart people) That's what? $12.00-$16.00 a gallon for bottled water???)

A lot of bottled water comes from ?? city tap water!!!!!

Bottled water adds pollution to the environment because it adds to landfill waste, uses ENERGY to produce the bottles, plus the bottles themselves are made from fossil fuel derived Plastic, and litter!!.

Children raise on un- fluoridated bottled water can expect a lifetime of cavities and bad teeth.

Answer 9

its all rubbish , dont you think it would be more expensive if it really did trickle through mountains, water does go stale after a while.

Answer 10

Because everything man touches goes bad? They should leave the water gathering to the Artesians!