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Consumers will soon be able to buy bottled mineral water with a guarantee of quality, as part of a government crackdown on substandard producers.

Jiang Jianjun from the Ministry of Land and Resources told China Daily yesterday that all brands of mineral water produced in China will undergo quality checks later this year.

"Those that cannot pass the examination will be asked to close down," Jiang, director of the ministry's Geological Environment Department, said.

Plans for annual reviews of the water supplies used by the popular drinks were first drawn up in 1996.

The inspections are considered essential to guarantee the quality of mineral water resources, which can vary with changes in local geology. But the checks have not taken place as often as they should have. Many brands of bottled mineral water on the market have gone more than two years without inspections.

Jiang said the sector is still dominated by small, private businesses, making it harder to carry out regular inspections.

"These small private producers operate and close quite randomly depending on the funds available and market demand. They are therefore sometimes missed by annual source quality examinations," said Jiang.

"But this time, the ministry will recognize responsible producers by endorsing those with good quality water supplies and urging consumers to buy only those marked with their stamp of approval."

Jiang believes the inspections will help improve the sector, which consists of over 1,000 registered businesses capable of producing more than 2 million tons of mineral water a year, or over 10 per cent of the world's total. In 1985, there were only two mineral water producers in the country.

But spot checks by local authorities have shown that more than a 10th of producers are failing to meet the required standards.

"Quality will be the only factor that allows producers to overcome challenges. China is not short of mineral water. On the contrary, there are many high-quality mineral water sources in great need of investment," Jiang said.

Only about 1,200 of more than 4,000 approved mineral water springs in China have been developed.

Jiang did not dismiss speculation that the closure of some substandard businesses in the sector could help transfer investments to qualified producers.

"We are not sure whether that might happen. But we do know most of China's high-quality mineral sources are located in the country's east, which has a better investment environment and should attract capital if given an opportunity."

(China Daily May 19, 2003)