Properties

Natural Mineral Waters

ORIGIN AND COMPONENTS OF NATURAL MINERAL WATER

• Natural mineral waters, amongst which falls Donat Mg mineral water, are waters from underground with special fixed chemical and physical qualities.
• The underground source must be protected from pollution of any kind whatsoever.
• The area, under which the individual mineral waters are located, must be precisely marked. There must be fixed safety zones, risk assessment and suitable controls so that any risk is eliminated.
• The spring on the surface or the well must be protected from an influx of surface water and from the possibility of pollution of any kind whatsoever.
• Each natural mineral water has properties which arise from the contents of its mineral substances, trace elements or other components, and which can have defined nutritional and physiological effects.
• The water, on its course through the earth's inner depths, vigorously wears away the stones due to its physical and chemical properties, on which pressure, temperature and gases all have an impact. The aggressiveness of this activity is very much intensified if carbon dioxide is present. In such a manner aqueous solutions come into existence which differentiate between themselves on account of the quantity and diversity of the dissolved mineral substances which they contain.
• The diversity of the dissolved mineral substances in the natural mineral waters is dependent on the underground environment through which the water flows, the depth of the water paths and the length of time the water has been in its underground tract.
  Only a quarter of the 92 natural elements emerge as components of the mineral waters:
  Cations: Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺
  Anions: Cl^-, HC0₃^-, S0₄^2-,
  Accompanying elements: Sr²⁺, Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, F^-, J^-, Br^-, Si0₃^2- and large amounts of trace elements
• The age of the mineral waters is determined by radioactive isotopes, oxygen, deuterium, titrium, carbons and chloride.
• It could be said that natural mineral waters are, as it were, the earth's life juice.
• Regarding the content of the prevailing ions, these can be classified into individual types using a fixed methodology.
• On the basis of more than 20% of the equivalent share of cations and anions in a litre of water, the type or chemical characteristic can be obtained.
• We establish the type of water by noting down all the components, according to their declining values, which exceed 20 equivalent shares, firstly in the percentages for cations and then for anions.
  DONAT Mg is: Magnesium-sodium-hydrogen carbonate-sulphate-acidulous.
• The region of the natural mineral waters, the spring waters and table waters is secured in the Rule Book about natural mineral water, spring water and table water (Official gazette of Republic of Slovenia, Number 50/2004).

THE PURITY OF NATURAL MINERAL WATERS

• It is true to say that natural mineral waters have the same purity as spring waters, and that this property does not change with bottling.

MICROBIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

• It is characteristic for natural mineral waters to already meet hygienic and bacteriological standards at source. The purity of the water is as a result of the great depths from which these waters originate.

PHARMACOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGIAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

• Natural mineral water can have nourishing and physiological effects. The properties of natural mineral waters and its effects on the human organisms have been researched (ie, the neutralisation of stomach acid, the regulation of digestion, the influence it has on the kidney functions, mineral balance etc).
• Any research must be carried out in line with scientifically approved methods.

PERMITTED WORKING PRACTICES

• A condition for the utilisation of natural mineral water is that the water is taken away at source and pre-packed in such a way that this process does not affect its quality or alter its natural properties.
• Precisely defined physical and mechanical handling procedures are allowed for natural mineral water which, amongst other things, makes possible the removal of non-permanent iron, manganese and sulphur compounds which, in adverse instances, could precipitate loss of property values in the individually packaged units. Provisional oxidation is also permitted, so that the dissolving of these compounds is reduced prior to their removal, which in this way proves more effective.
• Physical methods of extraction (either total or partial) are permissible and also the introduction and re-introduction of carbon dioxide.
• Natural mineral waters differentiate amongst themselves according to the content and source of their carbon dioxide:
  • Natural mineral water which has a natural content of carbon dioxide has, after possible preparing and bottling, the same content of carbon dioxide as at source. Also, if carbon dioxide is released on account of the preparing of the natural mineral water, it is replaced later with the appropriate amount from the same source.
  • Natural mineral water with its own supplemented carbon dioxide has, after possible preparing and bottling, a higher content of carbon dioxide than at source.
  • Natural mineral water with supplemented carbon dioxide - carbon dioxide is a supplement to the water which is not from the same source as the mineral water.
  • Natural mineral water without carbon dioxide only contains carbon dioxide in such an amount as is necessary in order to maintain hydrogen carbonate balance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A NATURAL MINERAL WATER

It holds true that for every natural mineral water there must be an official acknowledgement. The written order concerning the acknowledgement of a natural mineral water is published in the Official gazette of the Republic of Slovenia. Analysis of Donat Mg natural mineral water from 2004, produced at ZZV Maribor:

1000 ml contains
Cations	mg
Ammonium	1,05
Lithium	3,3
Sodium	1500
Potassium	13
Magnesium	1030
Calcium	380
Strontium	6,8
Iron	< 0,1
Manganese	0,17
Anions
Fluoride	0,23
Chloride	59
Bromide	0,29
Iodide	0,08
Nitrate	< 2
Nitrite	< 0,007
Sulphate	2400
Hydrogen phosphate	< 0,02
Hydrogen carbonate	7700
Non-disintegratable Compounds
Metaboric acid	16,6
Metasilicic acid	156
Dissolved carbon dioxide, approximately	3800