Whether carbonated or still, Hungarian mineral waters are guaranteed to be of high quality

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According to the overview of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy, almost 274 mineral water wells are registered in Hungary, and the bottling plants bottle about 1200-1300 million liters of mineral water from domestic sources every year. The consumption of domestic mineral water has increased several times over the past decades, and while in the past, waters enriched with carbon dioxide were the most popular, today non-carbonated mineral water is more popular among Hungarians.

Mineral water is now one of the basic foodstuffs

It cannot be called a seasonal product, but the demand for bottled water typically increases during the summer. Domestic consumers are in a very fortunate position, as Hungary is considered a real mineral water superpower, and is one of the countries that distribute the most mineral water in Europe. The official database of domestic mineral water sources is managed by the National Center for Public Health, currently 274 recognized wells are registered. Pest and Bács-Kiskun counties can boast the most mineral water wells. While mineral water consumption was considered a luxury a few decades ago, today it is part of our everyday life, and this is also the reason why domestic mineral water consumption has increased significantly. While in the 1980s per capita consumption hovered around 3 liters per year, today it exceeds 130 liters. Domestic mineral water consumption with this value is among the top five countries in the European Union. On a national level, about 1,200 – 1,300 million liters of mineral water are sold on the market every year.

The increase in consumption is also due to the fact that more and more people are recognizing the beneficial effects of mineral water consumption

Natural mineral water is Hungary’s national treasure. Mineral water is naturally pure, free from all chemical and microbiological contamination, natural food, and contains minerals, macro- and micro-elements in a composition and quantity favorable to the functioning of the human body.

The quality of mineral waters is guaranteed by strict rules

In addition to the regular, official inspections, the constant inspections of the bottling companies in their own chemical and microbiological laboratories also ensure the constancy of quality. The vast majority of domestic bottled water is mineral water, in addition, bottled spring water, drinking water and various fortified and flavored water-based drinks are on store shelves. Although imported waters also appear in the offer, their proportion is negligible, the vast majority of customers can find bottled mineral waters of domestic origin in the stores.

It is interesting that until the middle of the last decade, the demand for mineral waters enriched with carbon dioxide was the determining

Nowadays, more people are consuming the non-carbonated version: in 2019, this type accounted for 57 percent of the total consumption. In terms of its effect on health, it doesn’t matter whether you drink carbonated or non-carbonated mineral water. The 0.5-1.5 liter packaging is the most popular in retail, while the 0.25-0.5 liter packaging is the best-selling in catering. Although balloon mineral waters are also consumed in households, and this solution can be found mainly in the workplace, balloon packaging accounts for less than one percent of all bottlings. Traditional, big brands are available throughout the country, while lesser-known, new waters add color to the offer in the bottler’s catchment area.

NAK