One of the reasons why the world record gets little media attention is that no one wants to lose the 80 million budgets that bottling companies invest in advertising to differentiate a product that, in 90% of cases, is indistinguishable from others and where the brand can only be recognised by the colour of the label. When it comes to mineral water, the media prefer to focus on uncontroversial aspects such as the efficient recycling system, leaving out the critical economic and environmental issues.
For its part, the industry has always been very adept at conveying the image of excellent mineral water: pure at origin, with often invented health virtues (lightness, diet, sport…), and safe because it is authorised by the Ministry of Health. Being the first consumer in the world of a product perceived as healthy is implicitly considered a ‘neutral’ or even ‘positive’ record. Here, mineral consumption is seen as a cultural choice, as an established habit rather than a public network failure.
