Designation for a groundwater with a special content of minerals, trace elements or other constituents, the special properties of which are legally defined according to the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance in Germany or the Mineral Water and Spring Water Ordinance in Austria. A historical term without legal standardisation is sour water, which, like sour well, also refers to the source of such mineral water.
Mineral water suitable for sale is subject to strict guidelines laid down in the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance. This ordinance prescribes stricter microbiological limits than for drinking water. It must come from underground water sources and be of original purity (i.e. untreated or not artificially purified). This means that it has not yet been part of the general water cycle. Mineral water is bottled directly at the place of extraction (spring/well) and requires official approval.
Carbonic acid may be removed from or added to a natural mineral water using physical processes. Other additives are not permitted. The mandatory ingredients to be indicated on the label of mineral water bottles with quantities in mg/l may only vary insignificantly. In Germany, a distinction is made between "classic" mineral waters (also called classic waters) with a lot of carbonic acid (approx. 7-8 g/l), "medium" and "still" waters with reduced carbonic acid (4-5.5 g/l) and non-carbonated mineral waters (less than 1 g/l). Mineral water is used in various wine-based drinks and mixed drinks with partly wine-legal conditions. These are various bowls and cocktails, as well as the drinks Gespritzter, Gieß, Maiwein, Mischung, Pfiff, Pfiffche, Sangria, Schorle and Spritzer, among others.
Source: WIKIPEDIA Mineral Water
Picture: By © Nevit Dilmen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
edited by N. Tischelmayer - January 2019
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