Aqua Pure water ‘unfit’ for consumption—MBS

Aqua Pure bottled water has been declared ‘unfit’ for human consumption by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) who conducted laboratory tests to determine  the water’s conformity with prescribed consumer safety standards.

In a statement issued today, the Competition and Fair Trading Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Trade said they requested MBS to carry out the tests following increased consumer complaints about Aqua Pure bottled water.

Aqua Pure bottled water is supposed to conform with prescribed consumer safety standards, in particular MS 699-Mandatory Malawi Standard on Bottled Water other than Mineral Water Specification.

“Findings of laboratory tests conducted by MBS showed that Aqua Pure bottled water failed to comply with minimum standard requirements on total plate count and coliform bacteria,” said Charlotte Malonda, executive director of CFTC in the statement.

“This essentially means that the Aqua Pure bottled water which Bowler Beverages Company Ltd is supplying into the market has been certified unfit for human consumption by the Malawi Bureau of Standards until it satisfies whatever requirements stipulated by MBS,” she added.

CFTC said in view of this, the Commission has instituted an investigations against Bowler Beverages Company Ltd for alleged supply of products which are likely to cause injury to health or physical harm to consumers.

The Commission has also advised Bowler Beverages Company Ltd to immediately recall the product from the market given the substantial evidence provided by the Malawi Bureau of Standards certifying that the product is unfit for human consumption.