| Abstract: | Different from drinking water supplied by the municipal network or from other bottled waters, all of which undergo some kind of prior treatment in order to become potable, the natural mineral water is an ecologically pure product, that by virtue of its composition may induce beneficial health effects. According to the EC Directive 80/777, the main criteria used for defining the natural mineral water refer to its original purity and its adequate protection against any pollution hazard. In Romania, mineral water consumption is an old tradition. The geological setting and the existence of unpolluted areas favored the development of mineral water sources of an outstanding quality, many of which include also carbon dioxide in natural state. The present work presents the main sources of bottled mineral water in Romania, classified as a function of total mineral content, ionic composition and carbon dioxide content. There are also forwarded forecasts concerning the medium term evolution of the structure of the bottled mineral water market in Romania. |
