TikTok user The Gamez Family (@thegamezfamilyy) posted a viral clip showcasing his shock at a new label placed on Dasani water bottles. The tag reads, “Now without salt*.” This prompted the TikToker to question what he’s been drinking previously.
His video on the subject garnered over 1.2 million views as of Sunday. Some viewers weren’t that perturbed by the presence of salt in their beverages. Others thought Dasani strategically puts salt in its water bottles to make consumers thirstier.
“What? You mean to tell me there’s salt in this [expletive]?” He further questioned the new label affixed to Dasani water bottles that first caught his eye. “So they’ve been giving us salt water this whole time?!”
Salt in Dasani?
According to Chef’s Resource, Dasani water did indeed include salt. The website indicates that the popular water brand owned by Coca-Cola gets its sodium content via its purification process. Furthermore, the site says this “process involves various techniques. Including reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and carbon filtration.”
Consequently, impurities are removed from the brand’s water during this purification process. However, stripping away these impurities also means the water has been stripped of its minerals, which “contribute to the overall taste of water.”
So, the company adds salt to its water as a means of mimicking the natural minerals water sources naturally contain. This, Chef Resource states, “enhance[s] flavor and provide[s] a more balanced taste.” Moreover, the site indicates that the salt isn’t the same table variant you season your chicken with.
Rather, the corporation utilizes purified sodium chloride for its ability to “harmonize with other minerals present in the water.”
Dasani purification
Mashed also penned an article on the purification process Coca-Cola uses with Dasani. Echoing Chef’s Resource, the outlet says the product utilizes a “reverse osmosis technique and is enhanced with the addition of minerals for taste.”
In terms of sales figures, Dasani is the world’s second-largest bottled water brand. Coca-Cola decided to get into the bottled water game after the massive success Pepsi has maintained with Aquafina.
Additionally, Dasani’s plastic bottles have been made with 30% of plant-based materials since 2009 as a result of its deal with PlantBottle. In a five-year span, the beverage giant states that this partnership will cut down the production of a billion plastic bottles. Also, there are some markets where Dasani is sold in aluminum cans, a highly recyclable material.
While Dasani is the top-selling brand of bottled water in the United States, it’s flopped in some other parts of the world. Particularly the U.K., which Mashed attributes to three key reasons. The first is the public “perception” of water: the outlet writes that Brits, at large, prefer drinking natural spring water. So, seeing bottles of purified water on store shelves didn’t exactly captivate consumers.
Bad press
Moreover, a popular BBC comedy in the 1980s ridiculed “fancy” bottled water companies. In the bit, tap water was repackaged and sold to folks at a premium. And the outlet contends that this gag stuck with prospective buyers, who viewed Dasani as a similar product.
Then there was the aftermath of Dasani’s “initial launch” in the U.K. In March of 2004, major British news corporations began labeling Dasani as tap water that was simply rebottled. Additionally, tests of Dasani’s water content revealed it exceeded the country’s legal limit of Bromide levels.
This, in turn, led to recalls from store shelves and an over $32 million loss for Coca-Cola. Business Insider reported, however, that the damages to the brand’s reputation and potential for sales was “20 times” that amount.
Is salt in water bad?
The debate over sodium intake and salt content in foods and beverages has been argued at length. Some have remarked that folks shouldn’t be worried about heightened sodium intake levels. While many studies have linked high sodium levels to an increased risk of high blood pressure.
Furthermore, the National Library of Medicine cites reports that only individuals with a history of hypertension should be concerned with salt intake.
Today also wrote about the presence of salt in water. The media outlet highlights how there are numerous beverages that contain sodium. Specifically, sports drinks such as Gatorade contain electrolytes, which are effectively salts. In its piece, it delves into the benefits of drinking beverages with salt as a means of providing better hydration for consumers.
The act of sweating culminates in a loss of sodium in the human body, which is why sodium consumption is important. If you’re concerned with your salt intake, it’s best to consult with a healthcare professional before making any drastic changes to your diet.
@thegamezfamilyy Naaaa I need a lawyer! That gotta be illegal #saltwater #dasani #illegal ♬ original sound – The Gamez Family
Viewers aren’t too concerned
One person referenced the aforementioned salt debate, writing, “Salt is an ELECTROLYTE.”
A user thinks there’s another reason Dasani contained salt: “That’s why it make you more thirsty.”
Whereas one person responded to The Gamez Family’s post with a scientific fact. “You need salt to hydrate big dawg.”
Someone else didn’t seem so concerned with the fact that Dasani water contained salt: “What did y’all do at school like seriously how can you hydrate with no salt.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Coca-Cola via email and The Gamez Family via TikTok comment for further information.
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