Promote healthy hydration habits

Water is an essential part of the body (on average, 60% of the body mass of an adult). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recognised the benefits of water for health. Assuming that approximately 80% of total water intake comes from fluids (as opposed to water coming from foods), the amount people should drink ranges from 0.9L/day for children aged 1-2, to 1.6L/day for women and 2L/day for men. Research has also linked low fluid intake or other signs of insufficient hydration to negative health outcomes.

Yet, we know that many people do not drink enough. Based on the Liq.In7 database⁵, nearly 50% of adults and 60% of children do not meet the adequate daily fluid intake derived from EFSA’s recommendations for total water intake, and certain European countries like France, Spain and Poland have more than 50% of their adult population drinking less than these recommendations (22% of adults have a fluid intake lower than 1.2L per day; 50% of the children drink less than 2 glasses (0.5L)/day).

 

At Danone, our conviction is that water is the most precious resource and the healthiest drink on the planet. People should therefore rebalance their sources of hydration, moving away from sugary drinks, through the reformulation of those and the promotion of water intake.

We have been developing the highest standards in quality. The sources, born in Europe, are untouched by man and a source of hydration, i.e. natural mineral waters. We are committed to continue developing new sustainable and high-quality solutions to hydrate people in the healthiest way whilst preserving the planet’s resources.

 

We call on EU policymakers to accelerate the promotion of healthier fluid intakes whilst safeguarding the highest safety and quality standards of water, as well as bringing it in the most sustainable way (see section II.2 above).

 

A common EU Food Policy should therefore:

• Encourage people who do not achieve the fluid intake recommendations to drink more water, more often, through complementary and locally adapted solutions, relevant to all sensitive population targets, fully reliable in the new challenges of food safety specifically in the Covid-19 context, and fully circular and sustainable in the way to be brought to people.
• Help establish early healthy hydration habits for children, through the appropriate product offer and education.
• Encourage lower sugar in their beverage consumption, in particular for children, through further industry regulation.