# Why does Dasani add minerals to their water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541 "2007-06-19T01:33:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![morgantire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@morgantire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/morgantire)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/1 "2007-06-19T01:33:30Z")
Dasani, the bottled water from Coca Cola, is not pure water. It proudly declares on the label “Enhanced with minerals for a pure, fresh taste!” But if you read the ingredients, you see that means it includes: Filtered water, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride, salt Yuck! Water is supposed to be tasteless (it certainly shouldn’t taste like magnesium sulfate, anyway) so I’m assuming they add those extra ingredients to increase shelf life or something like that. Does anyone know why those extra ingredients are added to Dasani? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/2 "2007-06-19T01:34:44Z")
They do it to make you thirstier in order to buy more water. Remember the tagline: “The water that makes your mouth water.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/3 "2007-06-19T01:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] They do it to make you thirstier in order to buy more water. [/QUOTE] Uh, no. The mineral content is still FAR lower than that of your normal body fluids; as such, it will not make you thirsty no matter how much you drink. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/4 "2007-06-19T01:51:05Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Uh, no. The mineral content is still FAR lower than that of your normal body fluids; as such, it will not make you thirsty no matter how much you drink. [/QUOTE] Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/5 "2007-06-19T02:02:31Z")
Pure water – either distilled or deionized – tastes terrible. Feel free to buy some and drink it. (If it’s really pure, it can’t hurt you.) The trace minerals do add noticable flavor. People generally feel that water should taste like spring water. The most common anions in spring water are calcium, magnesium, patassium, and sodium. The most common cations are sulfate and chloride. There are frequenty small amounts of iron, copper, aluminum, fluorides and nitrates, but these are not considered desirable and add an off taste. It seem like Dasani has the common salts covered except for calcium. Some taste panel probably decided that the water tastes better without calcium. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/6 "2007-06-19T02:06:06Z")
> **[Osmosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis)** > > Osmosis (/ɒzˈmoʊsɪs/, US also /ɒs-/) is the spontaneous net movement or diffusion of solvent molecules through a selectively-permeable membrane from a region of high water potential (region of lower solute concentration) to a region of low water potential (region of higher solute concentration), in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides. It may also be used to describe a physical process in which any solvent moves across a selectively permea Osmosis is ... ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/7 "2007-06-19T02:10:00Z")
My understanding is that they use reverse osmosis to purify the water and then add the minerals to it to taste good, but by controlling the amount and type of minerals added, they can ensure a consistent taste. (Basically that’s the same process used to make a Coke; start with purified water and then add ingredients in specific quantities so the taste is always the same.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/8 "2007-06-19T02:15:54Z")
Many people like the flavor of lightly mineralized water. Not me, personally - I’ve always thought Dasani tastes weird. But I suppose if some company was able to duplicate the mineral content of my hometown water, I’d think “that’s perfect - this is the way water is supposed to taste.” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/9 "2007-06-19T03:09:46Z")
So they can justify charging you $2.00 for a 20 oz. bottle of water ($4.00 if you avail yourself of the minibar in your hotel room). ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/10 "2007-06-19T06:17:08Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] So they can justify charging you $2.00 for a 20 oz. bottle of water ($4.00 if you avail yourself of the minibar in your hotel room). [/QUOTE] If you choose to buy it, yes it’s justified. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/11 "2007-06-19T06:24:43Z")
\ It is still true that Dasani is [still not available in the UK?](http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1173708,00.html) \ ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/12 "2007-06-19T07:12:39Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] \ It is still true that Dasani is [still not available in the UK?](http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1173708,00.html) \ [/QUOTE] Yes. Nor is there any chance that it ever will be, at least under that name. The negative publicity was a bit too much. People assume that bottled water comes from a natural spring. They don’t want to be sold tap water, least of all tap water that’s been treated to add dangerous stuff that wasn’t there to start with. The whole thing felt like a scam. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/13 "2007-06-19T12:21:14Z")
OK, I know it’s been said, but ALL water on earth is recycled endlessly-how much (of Julius caeser’s urine0, do you get in a bottle of dasani? Why would spring water be any better than treated river water? Or take that super-expensive stuff frok Norway (Voss Water)-its from melted glacial ice. How much better is that? ---
**Author:** ![Skeptic42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Skeptic42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeptic42)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/14 "2007-06-19T13:01:47Z")
[QUOTE=Ex\_Chemist] The most common anions in spring water are calcium, magnesium, patassium, and sodium. The most common cations are sulfate and chloride. [/QUOTE] Um, the things you call anions are cations, and _vice versa_. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/15 "2007-06-19T13:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=Alive At Both Ends] They don’t want to be sold tap water, least of all tap water that’s been treated to add dangerous stuff that wasn’t there to start with. The whole thing felt like a scam. [/QUOTE] Please explain how magnesium salts and soldium chloride (table salt) are “dangerous stuff” in the concentrations found in Dasani water. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/16 "2007-06-19T13:04:30Z")
Dasani is just Coke without the syrup and carbonation. You’re paying as much or more for bottled tap water as you would for Coke. I’ll bet the Coke people spent an entire day high 5ing each other when they found out they could get people to pay that much for tap water. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/17 "2007-06-19T13:10:54Z")
[QUOTE=Hello Again] Please explain how magnesium salts and soldium chloride (table salt) are “dangerous stuff” in the concentrations found in Dasani water. [/QUOTE] I think bromate was the problem not salt. > [@](#): > > But the entire batch was being withdrawn today after the drink was found to contain levels of bromate - a substance linked with an increased cancer risk - in excess of UK legal standards. > Coca-Cola stressed there was no health risk from drinking bottles of Dasani. A spokeswoman said the decision to recall UK supplies of the drink was voluntary and a precautionary measure. > > She said: "In very, very large quantities (bromate) can affect your health but we have been advised by the FSA that the levels of bromate that have been detected in Dasani do not pose an immediate health risk. > [@](#): > > Many papers, unhelpfully for Coca-Cola, also reminded readers that while Dasani sells for 95p per 500ml, Thames Water, which supplies homes in the area where the product is sourced and bottled, sells the water at the equivalent of 0.03p per 500ml. > > The soft drinks giant claims a “highly sophisticated purification process” removed any impurities, such as “bacteria, viruses, salts, minerals, sugars, proteins and toxin particles” and describes Dasani on the product label as “pure, still water”. > > But the FSA launched an investigation into the labelling claim after it emerged that Dasani is sourced from mains water. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/18 "2007-06-19T13:14:02Z")
All I know is that to me Aquafina tastes a hell of a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/19 "2007-06-19T13:18:14Z")
[QUOTE=Skeptic42] Um, the things you call anions are cations, and _vice versa_. [/QUOTE] I guess we know why he’s an \*\*ex-\*\*chemist. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Haunted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Haunted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541/20 "2007-06-19T13:21:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Pure water – either distilled or deionized – tastes terrible. Feel free to buy some and drink it. (If it’s really pure, it can’t hurt you.) The trace minerals do add noticable flavor. No offense to you, **Ex\_Chemist** , but I drink distilled water every day. I like the way it tastes. I drink it, at room temperature, all day long. It’s steam distilled. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-dasani-add-minerals-to-their-water/408541.md?page=2)