Warning: The 500mL cap is a small part and poses a CHOKING HAZARD, particularly for children.
Starting in 2011, we will be using the smaller cap on our 16 ounce, 20 ounce, 1 Liter, and 1.5 Liter bottle sizes and as these products are produced, you'll see a similar label statement on these products as well.
Pledging to swap one sugared beverage per day with water for a year has inspired families everywhere to live a better life.
Over the course of the last several years, we have been reducing the plastic in
our bottles and caps, making our packaging lighter and more environmentally friendly.
In particular, the bottle and cap on our half-liter product have the least amount
of plastic, with the cap for this size product smaller than other caps. In light
of that, we have applied the following label statement: WARNING: Cap is a small
part and poses a CHOKING HAZARD, particularly for children. We have
a similar label statement on our 24-ounce (700ml) sports bottle, due to the small
parts in that cap.
Consumers should be advised that small parts, including our caps, should not be
put in the mouth. And, that caps should always be replaced securely on bottles when
not in use or discarded promptly.
Nestlé Waters North America provides consumers of all ages with a variety of healthful,
on-the-go beverage options to enjoy any time of day. The safety and quality of our
bottled water products are our top priorities. We regularly conduct tests on all
of our bottles and our waters for safety, quality and performance.
Water Source Identification: Nestlé Waters North America identifies water sources
on its bottle labels and/or online.
Purified water products are treated by reverse osmosis, UV and ozone disinfection
for added safety assurance and enhanced with minerals for consistent and pleasing
taste. Bottled water products from each Nestlé Waters North America bottling line
are tested 200 times per day to ensure quality.
Quality Reports: Since 2005, we have made quality reports publicly
available for all of our bottled water brands based on independent testing results
from certified laboratories.
Easy Consumer Access to Information: Consumer questions and comments can be directed
to our toll-free number, which is listed on the label of each bottle.
Storage and Handling
To maintain the high quality of our bottled water products, we recommend people
store all of our products in a cool, clean, or shaded location, as they
would any other packaged food product.
Food Packaging Safety & Regulation:
We use packaging that fits into the lifestyles of today’s busy consumers and is
considered safe by regulatory and public health agencies. We evaluate new packaging
materials and make changes to our products when we believe there is a clear environmental,
health and/or economic benefit.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing
the safety of bottled water, which, like other food products such as infant formula
and seafood, must be processed, packaged, shipped and stored in a safe and sanitary
manner, and be truthfully and accurately labeled. Bottled water is one of the most
regulated food products, with FDA protocols specific to bottled water processing
and labeling.
Chemicals from plastic packaging can migrate over time, but the FDA sets conservative
limits for the amounts it considers safe for human consumption. Nestlé Waters North
America complies with the FDA’s packaging and health-based regulations.
Our single serve bottles are made from PET plastic. The FDA classifies PET as safe
for human use and has authorized its use for decades. PET itself is an inert substance,
meaning it migrates very slowly. As long as bottled water is stored at room temperature
or cooler it is considered safe for human consumption. It should be consumed before
the "best by" date printed on the packaging.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is not present in our bottled water packaging smaller than three
gallons. Our single-serve bottles (typically 1.5 liters and smaller) are made from
PET plastic (marked with the "1" symbol), which is flexible and lightweight. Our
2.5-gallon sizes are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), identified by the
"2" symbol.
Our five-gallon bottles are made from polycarbonate, a strong, clear and reusable
type of plastic. Polycarbonate (identified by the "7" symbol) is used in a wide
range of food storage containers, and is commonly found in the epoxy resin lining
of canned food products. While our tests show there are no detectable levels of
BPA in our home and office bottles, we understand consumers may be concerned. Learn
more about BPA here.
Recycling and Reuse of Bottles
We recommend that our water bottles be recycled, not reused. Every bottle produced
by Nestlé Waters North America is recyclable.
Our single serve bottles are not intended for multiple uses since PET plastic can
break down from repeated washings and reuse, eventually allowing human bacteria
into the contents. Instead, we recommend the bottles be used once and then recycled.
Our 3- and 5-gallon home and office delivery containers are made of polycarbonate
and are each vigorously cleaned and reused as many as 35 times before they're recycled.
Consumers can reduce the overall environmental impact associated with drinking a
bottle of water by 25%, just by recycling the bottle after use. Recycled bottles
are in high demand for use in products such as fabric, carpeting and other consumer
goods.