ÖKO-TEST finds contaminants in several German mineral waters

An investigation by ÖKO-TEST into 56 medium mineral water products from Germany has revealed varying levels of purity. While the majority of tested products performed well, with 40 receiving the highest rating of ‘very good’, several brands were found to contain unwanted residues.

In twelve of the tested waters, laboratories detected contaminants including pesticide degradation products, sweeteners, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Specifically, experts frequently identified trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a persistent chemical from the PFAS group that enters the water cycle through agriculture and wastewater.

Among the high-performing products were Vilsa Medium, Adelholzener Sanft, Gerolsteiner Medium, and the budget-friendly Saskia brand from Lidl. The results indicate that high quality is not exclusively tied to higher price points, though the presence of chemical residues in a subset of products remains a concern.