ÖKO-TEST tested 54 classic mineral waters. We’ll tell you which products were convincing in the test and which you should stay away from.

ÖKO-TEST took a closer look at Classic mineral water in issue 6/2024. The result is extremely pleasing: over half of the water types tested, or more precisely 28 out of 54, received a grade of “very good”. A further 11 received a “good”, six were rated “satisfactory”, while eight were rated “adequate”.

Only one water failed the test and received a grade of 5. Further details on the results can be found in the following article. If you are interested in the extensive mineral water test from Stiftung Warentest

The test examined not only well-known branded water, but also inexpensive products from discounters and supermarkets. The test results show that neither the price nor the brand name provide any information about the quality. The winners include both “no-name” water and cheap mineral water.

The products that were rated “very good” in the ingredients and original purity categories include brands such as Adelholzener Classic, Franken Brunnen Spritzig and Gerolsteiner Sprudel. But the comparatively inexpensive own brands from Edeka, Aldi, Netto, Lidl, Rewe and others are also represented among the best products. This water costs around 20 cents per liter.

You can read the detailed mineral water test for a fee at ÖKO-TEST.

In the latest mineral water test from ÖKO-TEST in 2024, two products fail. Interestingly, one of the losers is the same product that failed the 2021 test.

The product in question, Marius Quelle Classic from Sachsenheim, only received a rating of “satisfactory” in the ingredients category. As in the previous test, a pesticide degradation product was detected in the water. Overall, this only earned an overall rating of “unsatisfactory” (grade 5). In addition, boron was detected in the water, a heavy metal that can be very toxic even in small quantities if consumed regularly. In the original purity category, the loser also received a grade of 5.

But the laboratory also finds heavy metal contamination, pesticide breakdown products or sweeteners in other products that pass the test overall. Among others, the following are affected:

Sweetener in mineral water: That’s what’s behind it

Many sweeteners that we consume through consumption of soft drinks and similar products are excreted by the body. Unfortunately, conventional sewage treatment plants are not able to effectively filter these substances from wastewater. This means they can even reach deeper layers of groundwater and ultimately end up in mineral water.

Stale mineral water: is drinking it dangerous to your health?

In most areas of Germany, tap water is of excellent quality, often even better than water from plastic bottles. In addition, lugging heavy water bottles around is certainly no fun and the deposit system can be annoying for many. So why go through this stress when you can easily make your own carbonated water with a carbonator? One of the best known representatives in this area is the SodaStream (click here for the product).

ÖKO-TEST examined the mineral water for various aspects, including heavy metals and other elements in the laboratory. It was also tested for the presence of chromium(VI), only detecting traces that were below our devaluation limit. No product detected PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances). The test also took pesticide metabolites, nitrates and sweeteners into account. For products declared as infant water and organic water, nitrite, fluoride, sulfate, sodium and radionuclides were also tested. The laboratory also checked other specific claims regarding certain minerals, nitrate and nitrite levels. In addition to the ingredients, the original purity and other defects such as PVC/PVDC/chlorinated compounds in the lid seal were also taken into account in the evaluation.

The original for this article “Classic mineral water at ÖKO-TEST: Only one water does not pass the test” comes from chip.de.