Extract from The Daily Mail Wednesday July 9 2003

"BOTTLED WATER IS UP TO TWO YEARS OLD"

"Mineral water marketed on its freshness and purity may have spent up to two years on the shelf, watchdog said yesterday.

While millions believe that still mineral water is fresher than tap water, it may have been in the warehouse for much of its two year use by date.

Yesterday the Daily Mail found water on sale which had been bottled up to 23 months ago.

Professor Jeni Colbourne, head of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said: "People have a perception that bottled water is fresh because its been captured and sealed in a bottle, unsullied by human hands.

But in fact it has probably spent most of that time in hot warehouses and on hot supermarket shelves.  With bottle water the shelf life is around two years.  If you were told your sandwich was two years old, you might have a different view on it."