What's the Difference Between Tap Water and Bottled Water?

You would be forgiven for thinking that if you buy water in a bottle it is in some way better for you than the water you get out of your tap. However that depends on the water you buy and where you live. For example I drink bottled water because even the filtered water here in Pakistan gives me very violent stomach upsets. I must say in my defense that I usually boil tap water and filtered water which is equally good, less expensive and less of an environmental problem.

There are several types of bottled water and you need to read the label to find out what is actually in the bottle you are thinking of buying. The sparkling water is natural water which contained carbon dioxide when it sprang from its underground source, this may have been removed but topped up later so that it is more or less as natural as it was before being bottled.

Mineral water should come from bore holes or a spring and a protected (both geologically and physically) source, such as an artesian well or aquifer. It should not have added minerals in it.

These are the main types of water, but there is also purified water which has been subjected to distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis and so on. It has had its natural minerals removed.

There have been several studies undertaken which have discovered that bottled water is only tap water, and these have led the public to be skeptical about buying bottled water. One of these studies was published in 1999 by the natural Resources Defense Council (USA) and the results showed that of the 1,000 samples 25% was the same as tap water, although sometimes this had been further treated. However, we should expect more than purified tap water when we pay for a bottle of water which is advertised as being natural spring water, for example.

Rather than buy bottled water, which is problematic as the bottles are plastic and not easily biodegradable, we should consider installing solid block carbon filters in our home water system. These provide us with the best purified water as most of the harmful substances, such as lead from out ancient pipes, or fluoride, which is added by the local authority which controls the water supply, as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Water filters can retain trace minerals but remove chlorine, VOCs and the protozoa which can cause gastrointestinal problems.

If you are not satisfied with the water that comes out of your tap then installing a solid block carbon filter will probably solve the problem. You will not have to pay for bottled water which may, or may not be as natural as it claims to be. You may also be interested in this quotation from the US Environmental Protection Agency in their booklet "Water on Tap: What You need To Know" published in December, 2009: -

"... although required to meet the same safety standards as public water supplies, bottled water does not undergo the same testing and reporting as water from a treatment facility."

So perhaps it is safer to drink filtered tap water after all.

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Posted in: Between,Bottled,Difference,Water,Whats

Online Cake Delivery - Does Gourmet Make a Difference?

There are many ways to get cake. You can go to a local market and pick up a cake that has already been prepared, but that includes hoping that it is fresh and moist at the time of purchase. You can hire someone to make you a fresh, moist cake, but many local cake makers are far from creative, so you will end up with the same ordinary flavors that you have always eaten.

Then there is the option to go online and order cakes that are more creative. Many of these cakes will come from gourmet food and catering services, and they might be a bit more expensive than the cakes you buy at the local market. This may have you wondering whether gourmet is really worth the extra money.

What Qualifies as Gourmet Cake?

You will find different ideas of what "gourmet" cake is when you look around online, because it is kind of a subjective label. Gourmet typically means higher quality. Rather than getting cheap steak on a plate, a gourmet food and catering service may offer filet mignon and very expensive cuts of steak. Those dishes would be complimented with higher quality sides that blend flavors in more unique ways.

When you are talking about cake, a gourmet food and catering service may offer flavor combination and designs that are unique to their particular service. These cakes will typically be more creative and the flavors may be far more adventurous than what you find at the local market or a local bakery.

For example, you can get strawberry shortcake type cakes at almost any local market from time to time, but how often do you see a mango flavored cake with piles of fresh mango on top? There are many cakes with fresh strawberries on top, but mango is a more unique flavor that may only be found through gourmet bakeries and delivery services. That is just one idea of the type of cake you can find through gourmet online cake delivery services.

When trying to picture gourmet cake in your mind, simply think of higher quality cakes that are made with fresh ingredients. Imagine original flavor combination and unique toppings that you cannot pick up anywhere else.

Is Gourmet Cake Better?

When you consider that a cake from a gourmet food and catering service should be made with fresh ingredients from scratch, you can see how it could taste quite a bit better than cakes that are not made from fresh ingredients. For example, there would be no fair way to compare a cake made from boxed mix to a cake made from a gourmet catering service. The fresh ingredients versus the mixed ingredients simply do not compare, and it shows in the flavor.

If you want unique flavors that are not offered other places, then you definitely have to go with a catering service. The availability of these unique flavor combination is one of the big perks to ordering from an online cake delivery service in Singapore.

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Posted in: Delivery,Difference,Gourmet,Online