Much like asparagus water and water sommeliers, organic water is giving us pause. Though the concept isn’t new, it’s surprising to see it making waves again.
Mintel, a global market research firm, claims that nearly 25 percent of Americans are thirsty for organic water, which proves America doesn’t understand the concept of “organic.”
As NPR first pointed out when organic water hit the scene a few years ago, something can only be considered an organic compound if it contains a significant amount of carbon. But a water molecule contains two atoms of hydrogen (H) and one atom of oxygen (O) ― and no carbon ― so it’s actually inorganic. And according to the USDA’s labeling process for organic products, water and salt are not included as an ingredient that must be labeled organic.
But a trendy new company called Asarasi is taking advantage of a loophole. The brand is selling the first USDA organic-certified water, according to a report from Food Navigator.
Because Asarasi’s water is filtered through a living thing ― a maple tree ― it appears to pass the USDA’s certification test.
Asarasi’s tagline encourages customers to “rethink your drink,” in the hopes that you’ll try this tree-filtered water. The water, which comes from sugar maple trees, is leftover from the maple syrup making process, though it doesn’t contain any sugar.
“We have a beautiful base water that can be utilized in a lot of food and beverages,” Asarasi CEO Adam North Lazar recently said in an interview with Food Navigator. “Our goal is to replace what is used as water in the organic food industry.”
“Marketing water this way doesn’t make it look special,” Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water, told NPR when organic water started to make its mark around 2011. “Let’s go with cosmic water — it all came from space in the first place — how about selling it that way?”
If you’re still interesting in purchasing Asarasi’s organic water, check for locations selling the product.
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