A Deep Dive Into the Water Business

About the Episode

Water – the building block of life and a complex topic for the food and beverage industry. Beckie Anderer Murphy is an expert in regulatory compliance and food safety. In this nutrient-rich discussion, she goes beyond the basics of water and dives into the differences between U.S. and European standards for water treatment, packaging and recycling concerns, the different tastes of water, types of bottled water, and a brief overview of international regulatory differences for water and food safety standards.

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In this Episode

1:38 To what extent is the saying “bottled water is just basically tap water” true?
3:58 Which country has the strictest regulations around water quality?
7:20 Are total dissolved solids (TDS) bad?
7:47 What are the various components of water?
8:59 How do major beverage companies produce the same water on a global scale?
10:57 How do cities usually treat their tap water?
13:49 What are packaging alternatives that could help avoid the issue of microplastics?
15:17 What is polyethylene terephthalate (PET)? How environmentally friendly is PET?
16:52 How important is categorization in recycling?
22:12 Who regulates bottled water in the United States?
23:30 What are the different types of bottled water, and where are they sourced from?
27:59 Are the regulations around bottled water more strict in Europe than in the United States?
31:02 What is surface water?
32:40 How do food processors treat their water, and what is their preferred water source?
34:33 What are “green claims” that manufacturers make when advertising their products?
37:50 How do food safety regulations vary between the United States and other countries?
42:03 Where is the regulatory environment heading in the next 5 to 20 years? What still needs to be addressed?
45:43 How large is the regulatory compliance department typically in a large company?
46:31 Do cultural differences play a major role in regulatory environments?
53:10 What department within a company handles food safety?
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Acronyms or Terms Used in This Episode

  • TDS – total dissolved solids
  • PET – polyethylene terephthalate – a type of clear, recyclable plastic
  • HDPE – high-density polyethylene – a type of plastic made from petroleum
  • GMO – genetically modified organism
  • FDA – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • EPA – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • PFAS – per- and polyfluorinated substances – chemicals used to make coatings for packaging
  • IFS – International Featured Standard
  • GFSI – Global Food Safety Initiative
  • FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Codex – Codex Alimentarius – the “Food Code” of international food safety standards, guidelines, and recommendations published by the FAO
  • FTC – U.S. Federal Trade Commission
  • USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • FSMA – U.S. FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act
  • CFSAN – U.S. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Meet Our Guest

Beckie Anderer Murphy

Beckie Anderer Murphy

Director of Regulatory Affairs at The Wonderful Company | Berkley, Michigan

Rebecca “Beckie” Anderer Murphy was the Director of Regulatory Affairs with The Wonderful Company. She has extensive experience in the oversight and direction of global regulatory affairs and matters of compliance and has acquired her expertise across multiple industries, including agriculture, research and development, food service, government/regulatory, law firms, food and beverage, health and nutrition products, and grocery retail.

Beckie was an honors graduate from the University of Michigan, where she got both a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Human Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology. She also has a Graduate Certificate in International Food Laws and Regulations from Michigan State University.

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