bottled water scare
Dec 10th, 2003, 12:17 PM
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bottled water scare
I saw this on another web site so thought I would pass it along. Has anyone heard this??
This is intended as a "heads up" !! In the last 2 weeks,10 people-including 2 small children-have been hospitalized in Italy after drinking bottled water,purchased in supermarkets,that had been poisoned with acetone,ammonia, or bleach . The contaminants had been injected into the bottles,just below their caps. As of Monday, 12/08, at least 20 cases of contamination of various brands had been reported, and contamination has been found in 20 cities all over the country,including Sicily : giving rise to a suspicion there might be a "copycat factor" at work. Fortunately, in most cases, consumers noticed the contamination before using...
This is intended as a "heads up" !! In the last 2 weeks,10 people-including 2 small children-have been hospitalized in Italy after drinking bottled water,purchased in supermarkets,that had been poisoned with acetone,ammonia, or bleach . The contaminants had been injected into the bottles,just below their caps. As of Monday, 12/08, at least 20 cases of contamination of various brands had been reported, and contamination has been found in 20 cities all over the country,including Sicily : giving rise to a suspicion there might be a "copycat factor" at work. Fortunately, in most cases, consumers noticed the contamination before using...
Dec 10th, 2003, 12:55 PM
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thought this might be an internet rumor - but there is an article on the La Repubblica (newspaper) website stating that about 100 cases have been reported - they recommend drinking tap water
http://www.repubblica.it/2003/l/sezi...ppa/mappa.html
http://www.repubblica.it/2003/l/sezi...ppa/mappa.html
Dec 10th, 2003, 01:47 PM
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I hadn't heard this. Apparently it's true. I just did a fast search on the Corriere della Sera website (don't know where the search function is on La Repubblica site and found a whole series of articles from the last few days. Situation looks bad. I have to go out now, will look into it more later. Meanwhile, here's a pile of articles (in Italian):
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...ospedale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...a-scuola.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...08/acqua.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...uamilano.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...minerale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...minerale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...solvente.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...imentari.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...ospedale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...a-scuola.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...08/acqua.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...uamilano.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...minerale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...minerale.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...solvente.shtml
http://www.corriere.it/Primo_Piano/C...imentari.shtml
Dec 10th, 2003, 01:56 PM
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Actually, its been front page news in Italy for some time. And it's not limited to mineral water. Any beverage container made of plastic or cardboard (containing any liquid, e.g. soft drinks, milk, coffee, juice, tomato sauce, chicken soup, even wine) should be inspected, turned upsidedown, and SHAKEN VIGOROUSLY before consuming. Once again, ANY CONTAINER IN PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD containing liquids should be carefully inspected. What about beverages purchased at bars and cafes where the container is handled by the barista??????????????
Dec 10th, 2003, 03:04 PM
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Dec 11th, 2003, 03:11 AM
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Ben Haines, I cannot imagine any waiter refusing a request from you if you are as polite in restaurants as you are here! Hmmmm..perhaps a way of telling you that your restaurant choice wasn't worthwhile in the first place and better to eat elsewhere.
Dec 11th, 2003, 05:07 AM
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Another silly scare! I'd guess that the majority of the Italian population drinks bottled water, and that's most of 50 million people. You're far more likely to be knocked over by a car, but at least it's easy to check whether a plastic bottle has been tampered with.
Dec 11th, 2003, 05:10 AM
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Calamari, I'm a bit confused by your post. I drink tap water out of hotel faucets all over Italy without problem, and have never found it tasting like bleach or worse. Why would it be different in a restaurant?
I have tried that "ruby-netto" deal and usually get a waiter who mutters a bunch of something, then comes back and opens a bottle of water with no gas. This is never a problem in France where I truly prefer tap water to that bottled still stuff that often tastes like phosphate or calcium or something. And I simply don't like water that "fizzes".
But I have never had a problem in Belgium asking in French "une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plais".
I have tried that "ruby-netto" deal and usually get a waiter who mutters a bunch of something, then comes back and opens a bottle of water with no gas. This is never a problem in France where I truly prefer tap water to that bottled still stuff that often tastes like phosphate or calcium or something. And I simply don't like water that "fizzes".
But I have never had a problem in Belgium asking in French "une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plais".
Dec 11th, 2003, 07:05 AM
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Patrick, you give me courage. Right, straight to the Grande Place and half a litre of tapwater.
Could it be that Calimari s dastardly Italian waiters are popping a little bleach into esch glass in the kitchen, to discourage drinkers ?
[email protected]
Could it be that Calimari s dastardly Italian waiters are popping a little bleach into esch glass in the kitchen, to discourage drinkers ?
[email protected]
Dec 11th, 2003, 07:15 AM
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There are several threads covering the topics of how to order tap water in Italy, whether to drink tap water in Italy, and whether it's polite to ask for tap water in a restaurant. The search function is pretty bad, but I did find a few of these threads, probably more than you wanted:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34422455
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34435149
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1306212
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1306212
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34422455
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34435149
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1306212
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1306212
Dec 11th, 2003, 04:29 PM
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Hi Patrick,
I really do not know what to tell you. I guess you have just been somewhat lucky that you did not get bad tasting water. Many of those old building still have lead in the pipes or pipes that are very, very old. Most Italians in fact I do not know a single one would never drink water from the tap. My husbands grandmother scolded me once for doing so. The home is 600 years old and the pipes are never replaced or repaired at the same time with the same type of pipe. While it may taste fine to you, there very well may be hidden dangers. If you are advised against drinking it, then there is no benefit to pushing the issue.
As far a restaurants, well we owned one in Florence and we never served tap water for a couple of reasons. 1). it was not safe for the clients
2). It had an offensive odor and flavour and 3). Why give something away when you can charge for it...especially if it is to a table of people splitting their entire meal...that was a joke by the way. I suppose the waiter insisted on serving you bottled because he could not fathom the idea of drinking from the tap.
I really do not know what to tell you. I guess you have just been somewhat lucky that you did not get bad tasting water. Many of those old building still have lead in the pipes or pipes that are very, very old. Most Italians in fact I do not know a single one would never drink water from the tap. My husbands grandmother scolded me once for doing so. The home is 600 years old and the pipes are never replaced or repaired at the same time with the same type of pipe. While it may taste fine to you, there very well may be hidden dangers. If you are advised against drinking it, then there is no benefit to pushing the issue.
As far a restaurants, well we owned one in Florence and we never served tap water for a couple of reasons. 1). it was not safe for the clients
2). It had an offensive odor and flavour and 3). Why give something away when you can charge for it...especially if it is to a table of people splitting their entire meal...that was a joke by the way. I suppose the waiter insisted on serving you bottled because he could not fathom the idea of drinking from the tap.
Dec 12th, 2003, 03:41 AM
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The amount of lead anyone would get from drinking water from lead pipes on a two-week vacation wouldn't have any health impacts. For residents, it's a different story.
Like anyplace else in the world, the local water in some areas does have an unpleasant taste. Depends a lot on the source of the water and the purification method used.
Like anyplace else in the world, the local water in some areas does have an unpleasant taste. Depends a lot on the source of the water and the purification method used.
Dec 12th, 2003, 06:11 AM
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In an email from the US Embassy in Rome:
The U.S. Embassy in Rome informs Americans residing and traveling in Italy that Italian authorities are investigating several cases of bottled water poisoning which have occurred in various locations throughout Italy. None of these incidents has proven lethal to persons drinking the water. The bottled water sold in supermarkets, small stores and vending machines, has been contaminated with either bleach or a detergent introduced by a needle or syringe into the top part of the plastic bottle or through the cap.
Italian authorities recommend that consumers:
1. Closely examine all liquid and food containers for any perforations or signs of tampering
2. Turn containers upside down to see if any liquid drips out
3. Shake bottles to check for foam which might form as a result of contamination with detergent
4. Report any suspected contaminated containers to police authorities by telephoning 112 or 113
Tap water has not been reported in any cases of water poisoning. Recently, a carton of milk was found to have perforations and concern about contamination has expanded to include milk.
If you believe you have ingested a poisoned substance, call the Poison Control Center (Centro Anti-Veleni) at Gemelli Hospital in Rome: 06-305-4343 or Policlinico Hospital: 06-490-663 in Rome, contact a local hospital in the town you are visiting or residing, or call the Poison Control Center in Washington at 001-202-625-3333.
Please share this information with your American family member, friends and contacts.
The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at Via Boncompagni 2 in Rome. U.S. Consulates are located in:
Milan: Via Principe Amadeo 2/10
Florence: Via Lungarno Vespucci 38
Naples: Piazza della Repubblica
The U.S. Embassy in Rome informs Americans residing and traveling in Italy that Italian authorities are investigating several cases of bottled water poisoning which have occurred in various locations throughout Italy. None of these incidents has proven lethal to persons drinking the water. The bottled water sold in supermarkets, small stores and vending machines, has been contaminated with either bleach or a detergent introduced by a needle or syringe into the top part of the plastic bottle or through the cap.
Italian authorities recommend that consumers:
1. Closely examine all liquid and food containers for any perforations or signs of tampering
2. Turn containers upside down to see if any liquid drips out
3. Shake bottles to check for foam which might form as a result of contamination with detergent
4. Report any suspected contaminated containers to police authorities by telephoning 112 or 113
Tap water has not been reported in any cases of water poisoning. Recently, a carton of milk was found to have perforations and concern about contamination has expanded to include milk.
If you believe you have ingested a poisoned substance, call the Poison Control Center (Centro Anti-Veleni) at Gemelli Hospital in Rome: 06-305-4343 or Policlinico Hospital: 06-490-663 in Rome, contact a local hospital in the town you are visiting or residing, or call the Poison Control Center in Washington at 001-202-625-3333.
Please share this information with your American family member, friends and contacts.
The U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at Via Boncompagni 2 in Rome. U.S. Consulates are located in:
Milan: Via Principe Amadeo 2/10
Florence: Via Lungarno Vespucci 38
Naples: Piazza della Repubblica
