A popular brand of artisanal water based out of Hawaii has recalled tens of thousands of bottles after customers complained about ‘floating particles.’
Waiakea Bottling Inc., known for its volcanic-sourced bottled water, announced the recall in 2023 but it took over a year to get the word out and collect the one-liter bottles.
The recall, which is now over, included more than 4,000 cases filled with dozens of bottles.
According to the FDA inspection report of the Waiakea Bottling Plant in Hilo, Hawaii, customers described the particles found in their bottled water with terms like ‘mold,’ ‘white blob,’ and ‘floaters.’
Testing showed the presence of bacteria that is potentially deadly for the elderly and immunocompromised, but only at higher dosages than found in the water.
The company said at the start of the recall: ‘After receiving complaints about floating particles in some bottles, we discovered a potential issue during our rigorous quality assurance procedures.
‘We identified the affected lots through our safety protocols and took this precautionary measure to recall them.’
The recall of the high-end water is one of many.
In Spring 2024, Fiji, the company behind artisanal water collected from a remote stream, recalled 1.9 million bottles over concerns about elevated levels of a commonly found mineral and three types of bacteria.
The Hawaii-based company known for its volcanic-sourced bottled water, which is marketed as naturally alkaline due to filtration through Hawaiian volcanic rock, completed a massive recall this week
More recently, the FDA recalled over 150,000 bottles of water bottled by Berkeley Club Beverages, Inc., out of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, due to contamination with coliforms, a bacteria found in fecal matter.
The FDA assigned the Waiakea recall a Class II classification, which describes ‘a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.’
The 2024 inspection of the Waiakea plant’s water found mold and the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria that, for levels significantly higher than what was found in Waiakea’s recalled products, can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and pregnant women.
When a recall occurs, companies, including those that make popular or artisanal bottled waters, do everything they can to alert consumers and gather as many affected bottles as possible to reduce the risk of people being exposed.
Waiakea said: ‘We have intensified our quality control processes and enhanced our safety protocols to maintain the highest standards of product excellence.
‘This includes upgrading our sanitation technology to state-of-the-art, fault-proof equipment and sensors.’
Unlike bottled water, tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which sets standards for safety and quality and oversees water suppliers.
The FDA oversees bottled water companies by inspecting manufacturing facilities at least annually and requiring bottlers to test both source water and the final product for contaminants.
FDA lab tests found Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria that can cause infections, especially in people with weak immune systems, in Waiakea’s water
Bottled water can become contaminated in a number of ways, including if the water source, such as a spring or well, has not been properly treated for bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals.
Pathogens can survive if the water is not treated through advances means, such as with UV light or reverse osmosis.
The bottling process is also vulnerable to sanitation errors. If the inside of the bottle or its cap are dirty, they can introduce bacteria into the water. And if the caps are not sealed properly, air or foreign particles can enter and contaminate the water.
In addition to finding 5,700 units of general bacteria per milliliter of affected Waiakea water, including a toxic variety, FDA inspectors found 15 mold colonies per milliliter of water.
Drinking bottled water can prove risky even without harmful bacteria or virus populating it.
Research shows up to 80 percent of bottled water on the market contain microplastics – particles smaller than five millimeters, can come from broken-down larger plastics, or be made small on purpose.
The recall of the high-end water is one of many: in spring 2024, Fiji, known for its artisanal water sourced from a remote stream, recalled 1.9 million bottles due to concerns about elevated levels of a common mineral and the presence of three types of bacteria
When plastic bottles are made and sealed, little plastic particles get into the water. In the bottling process, water also passes though various plastic tubes and filters that shed microplastics over time.
Microplastics damage the body’s endocrine system, which regulates human hormones, potentially leading to fertility issues, developmental delays, and ovarian cancer.
According to the International Bottled Water Association, Americans drink some 15 billion gallons of bottled water each year—around 45 gallons per person.
