Bottled Water Quality in Lubumbashi, Assessment of Producer Label Information

The preference for the consumption of drinking water in bottles in the city of Lubumbashi is a reality almost present in developing countries, where tap water is not drinkable. This study examined the quality of the information carried by the labels of drinking water bottles sold in the city of Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The purpose of this assessment was to compare the information of the physico-chemical parameters as stated by the producer of the water brand with the composition as recommended by the 2001 WHO guidelines for bottled water. And we collected information on 30 brands of bottled water produced and marketed in the city of Lubumbashi. It emerges from this research that 7 brands presented no useful information to consumers and of the remaining 23 brands we observed a difference in the labeling of the bottles and discrepancies in the chemical composition. None of the bottles met all the parameters required by the WHO. The article highlighted the need for strict regulations on labeling standards and related information to adjust water bottle labels according to water characteristics.