Bottled Water That is Found to Contain Bacteria Found in Faeces Recalled From S’pore Supermarkets

When you’re in another country, you’re always going to buy bottled water to avoid having food poisoning ruin your vacation.

Like a mother’s milk for an infant, bottled water is the safest thing out there to consume.

After all, as the labels always tell us, it’s pure drinking water, right?

Sure, except one batch of bottled water that purported to be pure turned out to contain some bacteria found in your poop.

Bottled Water That is Found to Contain Bacteria Found in Faeces Recalled From S’pore Supermarkets

Bacteria was discovered in a batch of Meadows Pure Drinking Water during a routine sampling, leading to a recall of the product, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Thursday (3 Dec).

According to CNA, the affected batch, imported from Malaysia by Cold Storage Singapore (1983) Pte Ltd, comes in 1.5-litre bottles and expires on 9 Nov, 2022.

In response to the discovery, Dairy Farm Group, which operates both Cold Storage and Giant, said the 1.5-litre bottles were not sold in Cold Storage stores.

They were only available in Giant, and have since been withdrawn from shelves.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa sounds like an ancient Greek philosopher, but it’s actually the name of a common environmental bacteria that can be found in faeces, soil, water, and sewage.

Basically, it’s the last thing you want in your water.

SFA said the bacteria can “multiply in water environments and on the surface of suitable organic materials in contact with water.”

Infections Can Be Treated with Antibiotics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be treated with antibiotics.

However, these bacteria are constantly finding new ways to combat the effects of the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause.

In people exposed to healthcare settings like hospitals or nursing homes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are becoming more difficult to treat because of increasing antibiotic resistance.

According to the CDC, a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused an estimated 32,600 infections among hospitalized patients and 2,700 estimated deaths in the United States in 2017.

Rarely Causes Serious Illness

Fortunately, as the SFA said, these infections rarely lead to severe illness.

“Consumption of products contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause a range of infections but rarely causes serious illness in healthy individuals.”

The recall has already been completed. Those who have purchased the affected batch of bottled water are advised not to consume it, SFA said.

However, if you’ve already consumed it and are concerned about your health, you should seek medical advice.

You may also contact your point of purchase for enquiries or a refund, if you’ve purchased the affected product.

Featured Image: SFA