What Does Water Taste Like? Dr Anreza van der Merwe Africa Technical Center Coca-Cola South Africa

Content: What is packaged water? What does water taste like? What does water NOT taste like? What is an off-note or taint? Causes of off-notes in water: Incoming water Water treatment Process Packaging Environment

What is packaged water? Bottled Water: Water that is packed in sealed containers of various forms and capacities and is offered for sale as a foodstuff for human consumption. This water does not contain sugars, sweeteners, flavourings or any other foodstuffs. Carbonated Bottled Water: Bottled water which, after possible treatment and packaging, has been made effervescent by the addition of carbon dioxide. Prepared water: Bottled water that has undergone any treatment acceptable for bottled waters and may originate from any type of water supply Source: SANBWA

What is packaged water? Natural Mineral Water: Natural water that has a substantially constant temperature and mineral and trace element composition acquired from the rock strata through which it has moved. Natural Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation which has not been modified and has not undergone treatment other than: Separation from unstable constituents by decantation or filtration, removal of carbon dioxide/addition of carbon dioxide. Source: SANBWA

What does water taste like? Water is generally regarded in pure form as a tasteless, odorless substance. The taste of water is a result of its pH and chemical composition (low mineralized versus high mineralized) The sensory quality of water is described in many guidelines as water without any ‘unpleasant taste’, ‘foreign taste’, ‘off taste’ or ‘taste problems’.

What is an off-note or taint: Taint: Unpleasant odours or flavours imparted to food through external sources. A flavour that is foreign to foodstuffs Off-note/flavour: Odours or flavours that are foreign/uncharacteristic to that specific food product. Off-notes are undesirable to that product, but may not taste bad. E.g. contamination of an orange flavour by a cherry flavour An ‘on’ note in some food products, might be an off-note in another type of food. E.g. ‘Earthy’ might be an ‘on’ note in red beets, but an off-note in beverage products. Off-notes can be caused by very low levels of compounds

What does water NOT taste like? FlavorActiV has developed > 21 off-notes that can be picked up in water Acetaldehyde Benzaldehyde Bell Pepper Bromophenol Chlorophenol Cucumber DMS Dry Earthy Dry Hay Freshly Cut Grass H2S Indole Metallic Methanethiol Mulchy Potato Skin Rotten Vegetable Styrene Swampy Trichloranisole Wet Earthy

Causes of off-notes: Incoming Water Microbial activity – Earthy off-note Actinomycetes (blue-green algae) Geosmin Pseudomonas Source contamination Peat from river water Contaminated raw materials from ground water supplies Chemical contamination, from industrial or agricultural activities or pollution

Causes of off-notes: Water Treatment Chlorination – Overdosing of Chlorine Chloroamines: Swimming pool or bleach water Chlorophenols: TCP, Phenolic Trichloroanisole: Musty Iron, Manganese: Metallic

Causes of off-notes: Process Use of inert materials in water transportation Seals not allowing proper clearing Biofilm formation Microbial activity releasing malodorous compounds Chemical contamination

Causes of off-notes: Packaging Bottles PET – Acetaldehyde Closures and crowns Slip agent breakdown might cause plastic/fatty taste Cans Crack in internal lacquer might cause metallic taste

Causes of off-notes: Environment Storage of packaging materials Not in a clean and dry area Storage of finished product Near chemicals Areas with exhausts Flavour carry-over or perfumes via the air

Types of water tests done at ATC Coca-Cola Company Specifications for Water aligns with international potable drinking water standards set by global organizations and regional, national and local regulatory agencies. The Coca-Cola Company complies with, and in most cases exceeds, standards established by: World Health Organization U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Food and Drug Administration European Union Directives CODEX Standards Local regulations, if more stringent than internal requirements and specifications

Questions?