Watchdog faults water bottling firms
Kenya Business Daily - Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Consumers of bottled water may be putting their health at risk after tests showed that the product may contain more fluoride than is indicated on the labels.
Preliminary quality tests on samples from across the country indicate that three out of the top 10 water bottlers use more of the element than they show, according to the secretary-general of Kenya Water and Sanitation Civil Society Network (Kewasnet), Mr Stephen Mutoro.
“Water samples from across the country are being tested at three laboratories including the Government Chemist and very soon, the results will be released with obvious dire consequences to these companies,” said Mr Mutoro, who is also the CEO of Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara).
Erroneous labelling is in contravention of consumer laws.
Attempts to get word from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) on the matter did not bear fruit by the time of going to press.
The debate on the amounts of fluoride in bottled water has been ongoing for years with the last peak being in 2008 when similar claims emerged, sparking protests from the companies who demanded that critics give evidence to support claims.
The water bottling sub-sector is one of the most crowded but new investors have been rushing to get a piece of the lucrative Sh12 billion industry.
This sector has since attracted companies like Kenya Tea Packers Association (Ketepa), whose core business is processing and packaging of tea. Ketepa produces the Maisha water brand.
SABMiller recently joined the fray by buying Crown Foods Limited, the producers of Keringet bottled water.
Kenya’s bottled water market has over 350 players, but is dominated by a half a dozen brands that account for more than 60 per cent of the total sales.
High amounts of fluoride in water cause a condition known as fluorosis, which manifests in browning of the teeth as one of the milder conditions and crippling being the more severe cases.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommends 1.5 milligrammes of fluoride per litre of water but according to some water specialists, the amounts found in some boreholes in Nairobi reach up to eight milligrammes per litre.
These assertions coincided with the World Water Day marked last week whose theme “Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge” underscored the challenge of providing water for the low income groups where 65 per cent of them in Nairobi rely on water kiosks and yard taps for supply.
SOURCE:
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