Indonesian food regulator rejects false claim that bottled water caps' colour indicates source

AFP Indonesia

16 September 2024 at 3:46 am·3-min read

A spokesperson for an association of the bottled water industry in Indonesia has told AFP a claim circulating online that the colour of bottled water caps indicates the product's type or source is false. The country's food safety authority has similarly rejected the claim, adding that the colour and design of the bottles -- including the bottle cap -- is a design by individual companies.

"Beware, don't be careless or you will not get its benefit. This is the meaning behind the colours of bottled water caps that you need to know," read the Indonesian-language sticker text on a Facebook video uploaded on August 16, 2024, where it has racked up more than 948,000 views.

The clip features Filipus Adimas, an Indonesian social media influencer who claims to use his platform to share "science-based tips for a healthy lifestyle", explaining the purported "meaning" behind different bottled water cap colours.

He claimed blue-capped bottles meant the product contained refined underground water, green caps contained underground water with high levels of minerals, and while white ones contained tap water with "added chemicals".

He went on to claim that purple caps contained water from mountains, while orange or red caps meant the water had a "certain flavour" or unspecified source information.

<span>Screenshot of false post, taken on September 13, 2024</span> — Screenshot of false post, taken on September 13, 2024

Filipus' original clip has since been deleted, but not before it was shared by other social media users across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and SnackVideo, garnering millions more views.

Similar videos making the same false claim in English also surfaced on TikTok here and here.

The influencer uploaded a clarification on TikTok and Instagram on July 25, 2024, saying there was no such regulation on bottled water cap colours in Indonesia and the information was "not precise".

However, social media users left comments on the posts indicating they believed his claim.

"Where can I buy the purple one?" asked one.

Another said: "How about the ones with yellow caps?"

'Not true'

Eka Rosmalasari, a spokeswoman for Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority, told AFP "there is no connection" between the colour of bottled water caps and its contents.

The agency also debunked the claims on its official Instagram page on July 31, 2024 (archived link).

"That information is not true," the post read. "The colour and design of the packaging, including the bottle cap, is a design by the company.".

The chairman of the Indonesian Association of Bottled Drinking Water Companies, Rachmat Hidayat, also rejected the claim.

"There is not a single regulation regarding bottled water packaging and labels in Indonesia or the world that regulates the colour of bottled water caps as said in the video," he told AFP on September 12.

The US Food and Drug Administration regulates how bottled water products can be labelled based on their sources, classifying products as artesian well water, mineral water, spring water or well water, but these are not identified by the colour of bottle caps (archived link).

AFP checked several brands of bottled water sold in Indonesia and found the colours of the caps do not align with the claims.

For example, the Cleo brand -- which has orange caps for all its products -- is not flavoured (archived link).

Another brand, Ron 88, states it uses water from natural springs in West Java, not tap water (archived link).

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'Not true'

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