Verificação do ph de águas adicionadas de sais envasadas no município de Pombal/PB e as legislações atuais.

Abstract

Among the natural resources, water is one of the most important, it is an indispensable resource for the survival of the human being. Due to its low availability and quality, and with the constant consumption of this resource, the search for a viable and easily accessible alternative for the world population, bottled waters began to gain prominence in the market for being a more affordable option. The waters added with salts (WAS) are the highlight of the present study, which aims to analyze the compliance of the hydrogenic potential (pH) of the WAS sold in the municipality of Pombal/PB with their respective labels. The research was carried out in the laboratory using the pHmeter model mPA210, the results obtained were compared with those described on the labels, and compared in accordance with current legislation. All waters in the study showed divergence of pH from the value informed on the label, among the six brands, four of them showed values outside the range considered potable in a water governed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health No. addresses WAS. The Ordinance of the Minister of Mines and Energy Nº 470/1999, is the only one that provides for the mandatory description of physical-chemical parameters on the labels of bottled mineral waters, requiring that they be measured only at the source, that is, after extraction, the pH value is not considered. The inspection of these factories in the state is the responsibility of AGEVISA, the companies must have the sanitary license considering the constant need to improve sanitary control actions and guarantee the hygienic-sanitary quality of the water. The tax seal of control and provenance existing in the state is intended to prevent counterfeiting and clandestine companies, but with the lack of inspection, it can lead to the consumption of these waters that are unstable in their quality, causing problems for the consumer. Finally, the information on the labels is not compatible with the values obtained in the analyses, making it necessary to develop new standards that adjust the pH values after extraction, bringing safety and confidence to the consumer.