Concerns About The Fan Galon, Is The Drinking Water Safe To Consume?

Illustration - Quality Examination of gallons of polycarbonates for drinking water. BETWEEN PHOTOs/Teresia May/Spt/aa. (PHOTO BETWEEN/Teresia May)

JAKARTA - Recently, a number of people have been worried when they see gallons of drinking water under support, especially when placed on the dispenser. These concerns are sticking out on social media, questioning whether the water in it is still suitable for consumption if the packaging looks changed.

In response to this, Hermawan Seftino, a food technology expert from Trilogy University, emphasized that the gallon of supporters is not a sign that the water inside is polluted or unsafe.

He explained that changes in the shape of gallons, especially those made from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) materials, are commonplace and do not affect the quality of drinking water.

"This is something that usually happens and is not dangerous. People don't need to panic because the water is still safe to consume," Hermawan said as quoted by ANTARA.

Hermawan explained that the gallon could appear to be porous due to changes in pressure inside the packaging, especially when the water inside had begun to decrease. When the water flows out, create an empty space that enlarges the pressure from the outside to the inside, so that the gallon appears to deflate.

According to him, the gallon made from PET is indeed more flexible than the gallon made from polycarbonate (PC), so it is easy to change shape when the volume of water decreases. However, this bending does not mean that the water in it is contaminated or contains harmful substances from the packaging.

PET fuel will not release chemicals into the water even if the shape changes. So in terms of food safety, there is nothing to worry about," he continued, adding that changes in shape only interfere with appearance, not function or security.

He also explained that small water packaging such as bottles of 600 ml or 1 liter will experience the same thing if pressed from the outside when it is not fully filled. This is a natural characteristic of flexible PET materials.

Videos that had gone viral on the TikTok platform showed gallons of PET looking pengusted on the dispenser, sparking netizens' questions about water quality. The video appears to be a modified version of previous posts that have also drawn reactions from netizens.

Some internet users actually responded casually and considered the unrest as a lack of understanding of the nature of food and beverage packaging. Some even call it part of business competition, similar to the previous controversy surrounding BPA substances in gallons made from PCs.

Hermawan also invited the public to be wiser in responding to the information circulating and prioritizing scientific facts related to food safety.