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| PHÎÒÎ: UNIAN |
Today, a package of permits for the production of bottled water costs producers approximately UAH 25,000. After the introduction of new standards, the fee for issuing permits will increase several times
National Sanitary Rules and Norms (SSRN) are being applied to bottled potable water for the first time. Bottled water will be subject to testing based on more than 70 quality indicators, a huge leap from the current 35 parameters.
Where the water comes from
Bottled water producers have taken a wait-and-see position, since the document does not establish any transition period. However, usually when standards are in the process of being modified manufacturers of food products are given some time for adapting to the new situation (at least six months).
Lidia Bilas, General Director of the Nova company, which specializes in water delivery to homes and offices, says at the moment there are two standards for potable water currently in effect in Ukraine: GOST from 1982 and SSRN from 1996, both being applicable solely to tap water.
Director of Subos company (TM Etalon) Oleksandr Kryachko pointed out that producers of bottled water operate by their own technical conditions (TC). Moreover, the existing conditions often allow for recognizing physiologically inferior water as being of good quality.
President of the Association of Bottled Water Producers Ihor Pastukh gave an example: out of more than 150 companies involved in bottling potable water (in 18.9 liter bottles), only 70 have equipment for washing the bottles and bottling, while the rest simply “pour the water into the bottles through hoses”.
Microflora banned from reproducing
Despite the fact that such “equality” with respect to consumers is not fair, the new SSRN developed by the Healthcare Ministry do not limit the sources of origin of bottled water. Conversely, the need to comply with one of the basic microbiological indicators – the total bacterial count (TBC) – the presence of wholesome micro-flora in the product could equalize the rights of mixed producers.
Under the new sanitary rules, the TBC must not change from the moment of water bottling and throughout the period of its shelf life. However, the fact of introduction of the new SSRN cannot influence the “conscience of microorganisms” or force them to stop reproducing against the laws of nature. In EU countries, for example, the total count of microorganisms in water is controlled only at the stage of bottling and only during the first 12 hours, since this indicator cannot remain unchanged in natural fresh water throughout the entire period of its shelf life.
Market players cannot seem to understand how they can comply with this norm without changing the composition of the product. “If one were to be guided by the opinion of some Ukrainian scientists as to an unchanging bacterial count, manufacturers will be forced to process natural water and add preservatives to it. This could lead to all products turning into non-living water without wholesome microflora and an elementary salt solution,” Bilas explains.
Representatives of the Association of Bottled Water Producers believe that the authors of this innovation must confirm that they obligate all producers of bottled still water to use the preservative, since this is the only method of decontamination that can guarantee the specified TBC during a one-three month shelf life.
Kryachko insists that even world-known brands would not be able to comply with high quality standards (in terms of microbiological, physical and chemical content) of bottled water written in the SSRN. “Control over the physical indicators of potable water quality, which even sanitation departments cannot perform for technical reasons, remains an open issue,” says Kryachko.
Water producers are on decline
Producers of water are convinced that tightening measures for them and the strictness of many parameters will as a result not lead to improvement in the quality of their product, but instead to a situation similar to that with GMO products, where the requirements exist on paper, but the number of operating laboratories for their control on a national scale is insufficient.
For example, in certified laboratories the detection limit of nitrite content is only 0.003 mg/l. At the same time, under the new State Sanitary Regulations and Norms, this indicator should not exceed 0.002 mg/l. Such arithmetic could cause producers several millions of hryvnia in damages if the controlling bodies deem its products hazardous to people’s health.
Kryachko also believes that those who from the very start tried to organize production of water guided by European standards, which there are not that many of, stand to gain. Provided that some companies take adequate measures on changing the production technologies, the majority of them will remain in the game.
Bilas predicts a redistribution of the market. “Small manufacturers with production and water quality indicators that do not meet the new standards will be the first to leave the market,” she said in consensus with her colleague.
General Director of HODidea Mykola Hurtovenko says large producers (around 20 out of 300 – KW) have sufficient technical and financial resources in order to operatively adapt to the new regulations. The same, however, cannot be said about small regional players. They are likely to move to operate in the shadows: cheap potable water (in small bottles) will move from the store shelves to the public market and street outlets and companies that are engaged in water delivery to homes and offices (HOD segment) will survive thanks to offering lower prices and the same quality of their products.
Meanwhile, Rita Pecherytsa of the Erlan company believes that one should not expect radical consolidation of the market, because the sources for water diversion will remain different. In addition, representatives of Erlan say that not all producers are interested in the water delivery market, which is why there will always be many small local players on it.
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