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- A taste of deception: 51 million attempts to sell water with violations have been identified in Russia
A taste of deception: 51 million attempts to sell water with violations have been identified in Russia
In 2025, the Honest Sign system blocked more than fifty million sales of packaged water with violations, the organization told Izvestia. Experts point out that fake water can be extracted from untested sources, and bottles for it are often made from low-quality plastic, which releases toxic compounds faster. Expired water from the bottle contains harmful substances that can cause digestive problems. And although this happens infrequently, experts advise to be careful when buying drinking water. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
What is known about the sale of water with violations
In the first half of 2025, more than 51 million attempts to sell packaged water with violations were prevented in Russia, the state Fair Sign labeling system told Izvestia. Most of them, 20.8 million — repeat sales, 13 million — suspected forgery, 10.7 million — expired water.
More than 75% of cases of bottled water sales with violations were detected in small retail outlets.
—The geography of violations covers the entire country, but three regions stand out in particular: Moscow — 16.3 million blockages, Nizhny Novgorod Region — 15.5 million and St. Petersburg - 5.5 million," the Honest Sign said.
Rospotrebnadzor did not provide statistics for 2024-2025 on consumer complaints and identified violations of the production and sale of bottled water.
— All complaints received by Rospotrebnadzor are considered in accordance with the established procedure. Measures are being taken on all the facts of the identification of products that do not meet the mandatory requirements," the department said.
What is the danger of expired water?
Bottled drinking water must have an expiration date. This requirement is fixed in GOST 32220-2013 "Drinking water packaged in containers". According to the standard, the shelf life of packaged water is set by the manufacturer in coordination with the territorial authorities and institutions of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service of Russia.
At the same time, the water itself is suitable for use indefinitely. On Earth, it is located in reservoirs where ecological systems exist, circulation and purification are underway, so the liquid cannot spoil, chemistry teacher Marina Andreeva explains to Izvestia. According to her, the expiration date appears as soon as water is extracted by humans from biological ecosystems. It is influenced by packaging, processing methods and storage conditions.
Evgenia Ivanova, a quality specialist at the Quadra bottled water plant, tells Izvestia that manufacturers must not only determine this parameter, but also document it through research in accredited laboratories.
— We water specialists determine for ourselves that, after all, the shelf life is more influenced by the processing methods during production. Water can either not be treated at all after filters, or it can be ozonized: then it can be stored for longer, says Evgenia Ivanova.
The expert also notes the importance of storage conditions, maintaining certain temperatures and humidity. According to her, only if all the requirements are met will the water be safe during its shelf life.
EAEU Technical Regulations 044/2017 allow for the presence of microorganisms in the water. But if the storage conditions are violated, their number will grow and may exceed the norm — then risks arise for the consumer, the quality specialist points out.
In addition, harmful substances accumulate in the water during prolonged and improper storage, for example, when exposed to high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation or a violation of the tightness of the container.: antimony, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), micro- and nanoparticles of plastic released from PET containers. Pavel Molodtsov, associate Professor of the Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology at Ivanovo State University of Chemical Technology, explained to Izvestia that such substances can cause digestive problems, leading to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, disrupt metabolism and weaken the immune system.
— Nevertheless, numerous scientific studies indicate a low probability of accumulation of these contaminants in quantities capable of causing significant harm to the human body. Such a negative impact is possible only with the systematic use of expired bottled water," the expert clarifies.
Chemists also believe that bacteria from the outside also affect the shelf life of water, and as noted by Elena Reutskaya, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, contamination of water happens anyway.
What harm does fake water do?
Counterfeit water may not be dangerous at first glance. It seems that unscrupulous manufacturers simply fake bottles of popular brands to attract customers. However, counterfeit products do not undergo mandatory certification and quality control, so they may contain dangerous impurities: heavy metals, bacteria, nitrates, or even industrial pollutants, Roskachestvo said.
— Counterfeit manufacturers often use low-quality plastic, which releases toxic compounds faster. In addition, such water can be extracted from untested sources, including contaminated wells or a water supply system without proper cleaning. Regular consumption of counterfeit products increases the risk of poisoning, allergic reactions and chronic diseases, the agency's experts confirmed.
Can I drink tap water?
Repeated water sales happen by mistake. However, it also happens that an already sold bottle is put on the shelf, filled this time with tap water.
Rospotrebnadzor claims that in the whole country, samples from centralized water supply systems are increasingly less likely to record non-compliance with hygiene standards.
In terms of sanitary and chemical indicators, this indicator decreased from 14.31% in 2015 to 11.64% in 2024; in terms of microbiological indicators - from 3.52% in 2015 to 2.87% in 2024; in terms of parasitological indicators — from 0.03% in 2015 to 0.01% in 2024. Last year, Rospotrebnadzor specialists examined more than 2 million samples from the drinking centralized water supply system. At the same time, they emphasize that laboratory equipment for water quality control is constantly being updated, the number of studied indicators is increasing, and new techniques are being introduced.
The organization notes that it is possible to check the water quality for each locality on the interactive map of Rospotrebnadzor. The project also shows the level of risk when using tap water.
The figures for Moscow and St. Petersburg could not be obtained. Data on these regions will be uploaded to the information system in accordance with the project implementation plan, the website says.
However, you can find out about the state of water in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, Sevastopol. In the latter, the indoor water supply network is normal. And, for example, in Kazan, the corresponding line states that "the health risk of drinking water is acceptable."
What to look for when buying water
When buying drinking water, you should pay attention to several points:
— tightness of the bottle;
— the integrity of the packaging, no damage;
— expiration date;
— storage conditions;
— transparency of water, absence of sediment.
In addition, experts recommend making sure that the bottle has a label.
— The buyer should check if there is a corresponding code on the package, as required by the rules. It is also important to pay attention to whether the seller scans it when selling at the checkout. The absence of a special scanner at the checkout may indicate the sale of water in violation of the rules of trade in labeled products. At the same time, the product itself may be safe, but selling goods without redeeming the brand is a clear violation, Soyuznapitki tells Izvestia.
The Data Matrix (code on the packaging) is a guarantee that the water has passed the mandatory digital labeling introduced by the Government since 2019 to combat illegal products, the Honest Sign explains. By scanning the code in the Honest Sign mobile application, the buyer can immediately verify the authenticity and safety of the product: find out who produced it and where, the expiration date, and whether the information on the packaging is true.
Rospotrebnadzor notes that the consumer has the right to require the seller to review the accompanying documents for the product and obtain the necessary information. According to the legislation, the seller must provide documents confirming the quality and safety of the product (declaration of conformity), and a certificate of state registration for baby food water.
— Give preference to trusted brands and buy water in large retail chains, where the risk of encountering counterfeit is lower, — Roskachestvo advises.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
