Reflections on ‘Microbiological quality of packaged water sold in Accra, Ghana’

From curiosity to commodity: a review of the evolution of sachet drinking water in West Africa

“…For example, modest sunlight exposure increases the temperature of sachet water and can facilitate the regrowth of tiny residual levels of bacteria, but enough ultraviolet exposure will render the water microbiologically pure given the right conditions. Some of these unresolved issues are captured in a series of letters to the Editor that objected to a conclusion drawn in an Accra study of sachet water quality—coauthored by a Ghana Standards Authority government employee—that sachet water may be no better than tap water; the objections were due to nondisclosure of sampling procedures and nongeneralizability of findings given the immaturity of the sachet industry and wide variation in product quality …”

“…Some of these unresolved issues are captured in a series of letters to the Editor that objected to a conclusion drawn in an Accra study of sachet water quality-coauthored by a Ghana Standards Authority government employee-that sachet water may be no better than tap water; 150 the objections were due to nondisclosure of sampling procedures and nongeneralizability of findings given the immaturity of the sachet industry and wide variation in product quality. [151][152][153] In summary, there has been a substantial increase in the number of studies investigating various aspects of sachet water quality over the last 5 years. The rigor of these studies has increased at a slower rate, but we have a much clearer picture of sachet water quality in West Africa despite ongoing research gaps (e.g., rural trends and data from the region's least-developed countries) and dynamic product distribution landscapes.…”