FDA warns against drinking, cooking with any Real Water products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers about bottled alkaline water sold under the brand name “Real Water.” The bottled water is sold at grocery and retail stores and through home delivery. The FDA, in coordination with CDC and the Southern Nevada Health District, is investigating the water as a potential source of non-viral hepatitis. So far, five people, including a 2-year-old child, have been hospitalized with liver malfunction.

The FDA is advising consumers not to drink, cook with, or sell any Real Water products until further notice.

Last week, a lawsuit was filed in Las Vegas against the company by the Wren family. The couple’s 2-year-old boy son was hospitalized last year after becoming ill. A liver enzyme test revealed his blood had 150 times the normal limit of an enzyme called alanine transaminase, or ALT. Levels that high can cause liver malfunction that requires a liver transplant. The toddler was flown by ambulance jet to Salt Lake City’s Primary Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment. The boy’s mother also exhibited symptoms and a hospital in Las Vegas reported a potential outbreak of hepatitis after several other children had to be transferred to Utah for treatment.

The FDA believes that Real Water is the common denominator in the outbreak. Five children from four different households had to be hospitalized, and adult family members from two of those households also exhibited symptoms, including fatigue, fever, vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite. The FDA will provide an update as soon as they have more information.

Courtesy FDA.gov

In a press statement on its website, the company said it is working with the FDA and has asked retailers to pull the product from the shelves.

“We, at Real Water, take the safety of our products and concern for our customer’s health seriously. Real Water takes great strides in every way to make sure our product is safe for consumption. Our goal is to diligently work with the FDA to achieve a swift resolution.”

Real Water is advising people who bought Real Water to return it to the store for a refund or contact the company for assistance at 702-310-54237. If you think you have experienced an adverse reaction from ingesting Real Water, please contact the FDA’s consumer complaint coordinators.

This isn't the first bottled water recall that has affected the public. Do you drink bottled water? Will this change your mind? Share your thoughts in the comments.