Nongfu Spring 'cleared of injustice', but what is bromateIssuing time:2024-07-25 08:35 Outlook Review On July 15, 2024, the Hong Kong Consumer Council conducted an evaluation of 30 packaged drinking water products and disclosed that four packaged drinking water products, including Nongfu Spring and Baishoushan, had bromate detection values that met the EU standard limit of 3 μ g/L. Seeing this, I believe everyone can't help but feel uneasy. Is the packaging water we often buy toxic? Then I silently reviewed in my heart how much Nongfu Spring and Baishui Mountain I had drunk before But don't panic I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush for now Please let Nongfu Spring rush first The next day, Nongfu Spring issued a statement pointing out the three major mistakes made by the Hong Kong Consumer Council and sent a lawyer's letter requesting clarification, apology, and elimination of the negative impact caused.
Both sides are in direct confrontation. Finally, on July 18th, the Hong Kong Consumer Council clarified the results of the "Nongfu Spring" test samples, stating that the incident was caused by a misunderstanding due to a misclassification of the test samples. The test results fully demonstrate that Nongfu Spring products fully comply with relevant standards and can be safely consumed. Thus, the debate between the two sides has come to a temporary end. So, who is the protagonist of this incident - "bromate"? Is this thing harmful to the human body? Why do different authorities have different standards for this? Let's give a detailed explanation of the "past and present" of bromate, so that everyone can eliminate their concerns while also being a "high-quality melon eater". 01What is bromate? a、Definition of bromate Bromate is a compound obtained by ozone oxidation of bromide ions, with the reaction formula: Br-+ O3→ BrO3-。 b、The source of bromate in packaging water There is almost no bromate in truly natural water, but there are other forms of bromine elements present. Commercial packaged water needs to be disinfected before canning to ensure no risk of bacterial and microbial growth. The ozone disinfection method has excellent sterilization and oxidation effects, and does not affect the mouthfeel, so it is highly favored by most drinking water industries. However, this disinfection method can oxidize bromine elements in water into bromate. 02Is bromate harmful to the human body? Bromate is not a substance that the human body needs. According to research so far, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believe that "there is a lot of evidence to prove that bromate is harmful to animals, but there is still a lack of sufficient data on whether it has direct harm to humans". Therefore, both institutions classify bromate as a Class 2B potential carcinogen.
Bromates are not beneficial to the human body after all. According to the usual principles of food management, if there is no benefit and it may be harmful, the lower the expected content, the better. In the drinking water standards developed by China, the United States, the European Union, and the World Health Organization, the limit value for bromate is set at 10 μ g/L. The detection value for bromate in Nongfu Spring red bottle packaging water is 3 μ g/L, which is within the standard range.
03Where does the EU's "upper limit" of 3 μ g/L come from? In Directive 2003/40/EC of the European Commission,The maximum limit for residual bromate in natural mineral water and spring water treated with ozone is 3 μ g/L. At first glance, why is the standard set by the European Union more stringent? In fact, this standard applies to natural mineral water extracted underground, and the directive clearly states that the use of ozone is for the removal of substances such as iron and arsenic, rather than for disinfection. Directive 2009/54/EC of the European Parliament and the Council emphasizes that in order to ensure that the composition of natural mineral water does not change, any form of disinfection treatment is prohibited. Without the ozone disinfection process to produce bromate, the bromate content in natural mineral water is often much lower than 3 μ g/L.
In this incident, the red bottle packaged water from Nongfu Spring belongs to natural drinking water, which is extracted from deep lake water and does not belong to the category of natural mineral water. The Hong Kong Consumer Council did make a sample classification error. In addition, although the concentration and risk of bromate generated during ozone disinfection are controllable, I believe everyone still hopes that the treatment standards for packaged water such as Nongfu Spring can be more stringent, striving to make others "impeccable"! Therefore, when it comes to bromate, we should pay attention to it, but there is no need to panic or over analyze it. The most correct way to approach this issue is with a scientific and dialectical attitude. Source: Water purification technology, for sharing and communication only, not for commercial use, copyright belongs to the original author and the original author's source. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion.
Tianjian Intelligent Manufacturing | Sodium Hypochlorite Generator
Tianjian Intelligent Manufacturing | Integrated Solution for Sludge Dehydration Treatment
Tianjian Intelligent Manufacturing | Effective Chlorine Concentration Analyzer Tianjian Intelligent Manufacturing | Yu Aluminum Instrument
•END• |