A Country Doctor Writes:

Im quirky in several ways. One is that I have an aversion to drinking water. It gives me heartburn (I have a large hiatal hernia with spontaneous reflux, even in the standing position and Barrett’s esophagus on top of that, so you would think plain water would feel soothing going down). So I have had this habit for years to drink flavored seltzer because that agrees perfectly with me.

Every so often I puzzle about what the flavors might actually be. Essences, the term used on the labels, doesn’t explain at all what’s in my favorite Mandarin Polar seltzer.

So, the other day I started doing some research.

On the website TastingTable, I read:

The FDA states “natural flavors in sparkling water can be created using natural ingredients from essential oils, extracts, distillates or other products derived from fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, barks, roots, and other organic substances.'” The Wall Street Journal’s research showed that the ‘essence’ in any given flavored seltzer is the same natural chemical used in other products, such as shampoo or ice pops. Taking the skin of a fruit, for example, and heating it to produce vapors that are then infused into the beverage.

Most companies are tight-lipped about their processing techniques. LaCroix’s website says “the flavors are derived from the natural essence oil extracted from the fruit named on our can – no sugars or artificial ingredients contained in or added to these extracted flavors.” However, some seltzer producers, like Spindrift, use alternative methods that actually use real fruit juice. Sip Trend claims that different flavors, other than the ones actually named, are occasionally used: a lemon-flavored seltzer might actually be infused with limes or even vegetables.

FOOD&WINE had more worrisome information in their article Are ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Your Favorite Sparkling Water? Here’s What to Know:

PFAS, short for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals designed to withstand water, oil, grease, and heat, which may sound ideal for food packaging. Until you learn that these chemicals take at least a century to break down in the human body, and much longer in our environment, and like many man-made substances approved for extensive use, they’re much less safe than we thought.

Linked to cancer, autoimmune disease, thyroid problems, and more health issues, PFAS’ toxicity is worrying, and still being studied. And unfortunately, PFAS are prevalent throughout our environment, from the seafood we eat to the water we drink.

The article linked to Consumer Reports, where I read this:

The federal government has issued only voluntary guidance for PFAS, saying the combined amounts for two specific PFAS compounds should be below 70 parts per trillion. A few states have set lower limits, of 12 to 20 ppt, according to American Water Works, an industry group. The International Bottled Water Association, another group, says that it supports federal limits for PFAS and that bottled water should have PFAS levels below 5 ppt for any single compound and 10 ppt for more than one. Some experts say the cutoff for total PFAS levels should be even lower, 1 ppt.

And in this Consumer Reports piece I found the number I was looking for: My favorite seltzer has the next highest forever chemical content of all tested seltzers.

My latest research has indicated that Schweppes club soda, which I like the taste of, has a PFAS level below 1 ppt, so I guess that will be my thirst quencher this summer.