Fluoridating bottled water

The Australian Beverages Council has welcomed the proposed permission to voluntarily add fluoride to bottled water.

If granted, the permission will allow the voluntary addition of low levels of fluoride to bottled water at levels consistent with Sydney and Melbourne tap water.

Tony Gentile, chief executive of the Beverages Council, welcomed the recommendation on behalf of members of both the Council and the Australasian Bottled Water Institute (ABWI).

“This recommendation, when approved, will allow bottlers to develop either new brands or variations of existing brands with added fluoride, this will fill a need for fluoridated bottled water in regions where the local water supply is not fluoridated or where consumers have to rely on tank water. It will also provide consumers with a choice away from home.

“Fluoridated bottled water will be clearly labelled to ensure that consumers who are sensitive to fluoride will be able to clearly identify the product of their choice.

“ABWI will also amend its mandatory good manufacturing code of practice — ‘The ABWI Model Code’ — to provide clear guidelines for bottlers who choose to develop fluoridated bottled water brands. The Model Code is published on the ABWI website.