Water for formula, safe water for children
Soft water is said to be good for milk formula.
So what is soft water? What is hard water?
One of the indicators of water quality is hardness. The indicators are different between Japan and Canada, and even in Canada there are differences depending on the region. There are also differences within states.
Water is generally divided into hard water and soft water according to the content of minerals (inorganic substances) such as calcium and magnesium. Water with more minerals is called hard water.
How to express hardness differs depending on the country, but in Japan and North America, the amount of calcium and magnesium is replaced with the amount of calcium carbonate (the water quality standard for tap water expresses "calcium, magnesium, etc. (hardness)"). ) and
One degree is 1 mg per liter (*Therefore, hardness does not indicate the amount of calcium and magnesium themselves).
The amount of calcium carbonate is set at 1 mg/l as a standard.
Category WHO criteria General criteria
Soft water 0-60mg/l 0-100mg/l
moderately soft water
(also called medium hard water) 60-120mg/l 100-300mg/l
Hard water 120～180mg/l 300mg/l～
Very hard water 180mg/l~
In general, soft water penetrates quickly, has excellent water absorption, smoothes the discharge of waste products, and is good for the digestive function of infants and the elderly.
No burden.
When making stock from kombu and bonito, it brings out the umami components such as glutamic acid, making it suitable for general Japanese cuisine.
Rice is also cooked more deliciously with soft water.
It is said to have the effect of bringing out the aroma of Japanese tea, black tea, coffee, and whiskey.
A hardness of 0mg/L is most suitable for infant formula.
It lathers well with soaps and detergents, making it suitable for daily use.
Conversely, hard water is useful for replenishing calcium after sports, dieting, and relieving constipation.
In cooking, it is suitable for dishes with a lot of scum, as it makes it easier to make scum from meat, etc., and when used in Western-style dishes and when boiling pasta, it makes it chewy.
However, if you use it for cooking, the rice will become dry and the bitterness and harshness unique to hard water will be emphasized, so it is not suitable for plain Japanese cuisine.
In the case of espresso, bitterness and astringency are rather suppressed, and it seems to be mellow.
・It is said to be useful for replenishing minerals after sports, replenishing calcium for pregnant women, relieving constipation, and dieting.
It is also known for its poor lathering properties, such as soap.
Regarding tap water in Japan and Canada, the water quality and hardness vary considerably depending on the region.
Based on the WHO standards, both Japan and Canada fall into the category of soft water.
Europe has a lot of hard water, and in Japan, Okinawa, Chiba, Saitama, Kumamoto, Ibaraki, Tokyo, and Kanagawa have the highest hardness, but according to WHO standards, the water is soft to moderately soft (also called moderately hard water).
Canada has moderately hard water around urban areas in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Manitoba, mostly soft water in BC (although there are some areas with moderately soft water), and soft water around Greater Vancouver and Victoria.
There is no problem in using tap water for baby formula or baby food, but it is not free of germs, so it is preferable to boil it before using it for infants.
If tap water is not used or cannot be used, commercial water can be used. From ultra-soft water to ultra-hard water, it is sold, so please check each one and use it according to the purpose.
Water sold at supermarkets in Canada (which you supply yourself) labeled as Spring Water is basically the same quality as tap water.
Here, for your reference, I will introduce some of the water sold in Japan and Canada.
Bottled water sold in Canada also contains various bacteria, so it should be boiled before use for infants (under 1 year old).
Better to use
The main bottled water sold in Canada is Ice Age, which is the softest and most suitable for formula production in Canada.Others include Berg, Glace, Aquadeco, Canaqua and American Crystal Geyser. Volvic is medium soft water in Europe.
French water such as Evian and Vittel is hard water. (Look at the Ca and Mg content on the label)
In Japan, most brands of soft water such as Junmei, Jomon water, Shimanto water, Echizen natural water, and delicious water from the foot of Mt. Tateyama are sold. It should be there, so please check. Commercially available water with high hardness in Japan includes ion water, stone water, Rokko Oishii Water, Ryusendo Cave water, and Aso water.