Importance of Water Quality
Process water is not just an ingredient for beverage brands—it is the foundation of product quality, safety, and brand trust. Even trace contaminants in source water can carry through to finished products and, over time, impact customers, harm brand reputation, and pose regulatory risk.

Forever chemicals (PFAS)
PFAS are a large family of man-made chemicals used in industrial processes and consumer products. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment and can accumulate in human blood and organs over time.

Health Risks of PFAS
Federal agencies, global health authorities, and independent research have linked long-term PFAS exposure to a range of adverse health effects, including:
    Liver damage and elevated liver enzymes
    Thyroid and endocrine disruption
    Reduced immune response and decreased vaccine effectiveness
    Increased risk of certain cancers (e.g., kidney and testicular)
    Developmental and reproductive effects
    Elevated cholesterol and cardiovascular stress

PFAS in Water
One of the primary exposure pathways for PFAS is drinking water. PFAS can enter water supplies through industrial wastewater, contaminated fertilizer biosolids, and landfill leachate.

PFAS are persistent and difficult to remove. Conventional water treatment is generally ineffective at filtering PFAS. Standard beverage-industry water treatment steps—such as reverse osmosis, UV, and carbon filtration—may reduce some PFAS compounds but are not designed to reliably capture the full range of PFAS species and precursors.

PFAS Filtration
To remove PFAS from our process water, we have installed dedicated PFAS-filtration. This system is designed to capture long-chain PFAS, short-chain PFAS, and PFAS precursors.

It is a class of technology that is used in pharmaceutical-grade purification. It provides a level of water control that goes beyond standard beverage industry practices.

PFAS Testing and Verification
After the system installation, Eurofins Scientific tested our filtered water:

        No detectable long‑chain PFAS.   
        No detectable short‑chain PFAS.
        No detectable PFAS precursors.

        (Results were all below laboratory method detection limits.)

This is the water we now use for all beverages produced at Nutrition Laboratories.

Why this Matters for Beverage Brands
U.S. and international agencies are reviewing limits on PFAS in drinking water, which makes proactive control measures important. Retailers and consumers expect beverage brands to have responsible contamination control practices, and PFAS risk management is starting to show up in supplier qualification and audit discussions with large retailers. We installed PFAS filtration to benefit consumers. This also helps brand owners protect brand trust and stay ahead of evolving regulatory expectations.