Drinking ‘tap’ water and natural mineral water may contain small amounts of nitrates, classified as potentially carcinogenic by the IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer. (1)
Knowing the maximum permitted doses and detected levels of these substances is very simple.
Nitrates in drinking water
The amount of nitrates in drinking water that comes out of the tap at home must not exceed 50 mg per litre. This is laid down in Legislative Decree No. 18 of 23 February 2023, implementing Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, in force since 21 March 2023. (2)
Companies distributing drinking water shall publish the results of analyses on their company websites, with mandatory indication of the average nitrate level detected.
Nitrates in natural mineral water
Nitrates in natural mineral water, according to the applicable Italian regulations (Ministerial Decree 29.12.2003), may not exceed 45 mg per litre.
On the other hand, the maximum amount of nitrates is 10 mg per litre in water intended for infants, whether administered as such or used for the preparation of baby food. (3)
The concentration of nitrates in mineral water is indicated on the label on the bottle. The physico-chemical analyses must be updated at least every five years.
Marta Strinati
Note
(1) IARC (2018). Ingested Nitrate and Nitrite, and Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxins. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 94. ISBN 978-92-832-1294-2. https://publications.iarc.fr/112
(2) See Annex I of Legislative Decree 23 February 2023, no. 18 https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2023/03/06/23G00025/sg
(3) See Ministerial Decree 29/12/2003. Implementation of Commission Directive No. 2003/40/EC in the part concerning the criteria for the evaluation of the characteristics of natural mineral waters referred to in Ministerial Decree No. 542 of 12 November 1992, as amended, as well as the conditions of use for the treatment of natural mineral waters and spring waters. (OJ General Series no. 302 of 31-12-2003) https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2003/12/31/03A14247/sg
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
