Fiji Water

Fiji Water is a brand of bottled water derived, bottled, and shipped from Fiji. According to marketing materials, the water comes from an artesian aquifer in Viti Levu.[5] Fiji Water is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is available in 330 ml, 500 ml, 700 ml, 1 litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal), and 1.5 litre bottles.[5]

Fiji Water
CountryFiji
SourceArtesian aquifer
TypeArtesian
pH7.3 – 7.7[1][2][3][4]
Calcium (Ca)18
Magnesium (Mg)15
Silica (SiO2)93
TDS222
Websitewww.fijiwater.com
All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units

History
Fiji water bottle

Canadian businessman David Gilmour founded Fiji Water under the name Natural Waters of Viti Ltd. in 1996.[6] Stewart and Lynda Resnick's Roll Global (since renamed to The Wonderful Company)[7] acquired Fiji Water from Gilmour in 2004 for a reported US$50 million.[8][9] The Resnicks' holding company also owns Teleflora, POM Wonderful and Suterra.[10]

In 2009, Fiji Water had $85 million in sales.[11]

In late 2010, Fiji Water acquired Justin Vineyards & Winery of Paso Robles, California, in an effort to spread their brand over a wider variety of products. It is best known for producing California style Bordeaux and Syrah wines distributed globally.[12]

At the 76th Golden Globe Awards, Kelleth Cuthbert working as a Fiji brand ambassador generated nearly $12 million worth of brand exposure.[13]

In Fiji

Fiji Water bottles water from Fiji and ships it overseas. The water is sourced from Yaqara, on the north shore of Viti Levu, the largest island of Fiji.

In 2007–2008, disputes with the Fiji government over export duties led to legal cases, impounded shipments and a self-imposed industry-wide shutdown of Fijian water bottlers. The government eventually dropped its proposed 20-cent per litre tax.[14] In December 2008, Fiji Water laid off 40 percent of its staff due to weakening sales.[15]

In November 2010, Fiji deported Fiji Water director of external affairs, David Roth, for "interfering in Fiji's domestic affairs,"[16] leading to the resignation of interim defence and immigration minister, Ratu Epeli Ganilau.[17] Shortly afterwards, an increase in the tax from one-third of a Fiji cent per litre to 15 cents per litre for producers over 15 million litres per month which at that point in time applied only to Fiji Water, led the company to shut down its Fiji Island offices on November 29, 2010. The purpose of the raise was to increase Fiji Water's tax contribution to the Fiji Government on the F$150 million (AUD 82 million) they exported each year from F$500,000 to F$22.6 million.[18]

The next step for the brand was thought to be a move to New Zealand.[19][20]

However, after threats from the government to give the well to another company,[21] Fiji Water announced its intent to resume operations and accept the new tax levy.[22]

In December 2010, Fiji Water's Fiji plant had 400 employees.[23] Fiji Water has also established a foundation to provide water filters to rural Fiji communities, many of which lack access to clean water.[24][25]

Controversy with Cleveland

In 2006, Fiji Water ran an advertisement stating, "The label says Fiji because it's not bottled in Cleveland". This was taken as an insult by the city's water department.[26] The Cleveland Water Department ran tests comparing a bottle of Fiji Water to Cleveland tap water and some other national bottled brands. Fiji Water reportedly contained 6.31 micrograms of arsenic per litre, whereas the tap water of Cleveland contained none.[26] In a 2015 test of Fiji Water bottled in November 2014, performed and reported by the company, the reported arsenic level was 1.2 micrograms per litre, below the FDA limit of 10 micrograms per litre.[27]

References


    1. "What is the pH of Fiji Water?". Fiji Water. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016. 7.7
    2. "PH of Popular Bottled Water". Fit4Maui.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016. 7.5
    3. "pH Levels of Bottled Water". Comfy Tummy. Retrieved May 14, 2016. 7.5
    4. "Is Your Bottled Water Acidic, Neutral, or Alkaline?". Alkalife TEN website. Sang Labs Beverages. Retrieved May 14, 2016. 7.3
    5. "FIJI FAQ". 2009. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
    6. "Fiji's new tourism icon - Fiji Water". eTurboNews. July 1, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
    7. Chloe Sorvino (June 1, 2015). "Billionaires Behind Pom Wonderful, Fiji Water Rename Company". Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
    8. Lauren A. E. Schuker (November 30, 2004). "Hollywood couple buys Fiji Water for $63m". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
    9. Dale Buss (February 17, 2015). "With First Fiji Water TV Ads, Roll Global Polishes Another Brand". Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
    10. "Democratic lawmakers call on Senator Feinstein to retract water proposal". CAIVN. 2010. Archived from the original on February 22, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
    11. Lauren A. E. Schuker (November 30, 2010). "Island's Tax Increase Gives Fiji Water a Bitter Taste". The Wall Street Journal. Los Angeles. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
    12. Huffstutter, P.J. (December 6, 2010). "From water – to wine? Fiji Water buys California winery". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
    13. Greenspan, Rachel E. (January 8, 2019). "'Life Has Changed Very Dramatically.' Meet the 'Fiji Water Girl' Who Became the Star of the 2019 Golden Globes". Time. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
    14. Fiji government yields to bottled water company pressure, IceNews, Chris Bolwig, July 26, 2008.
    15. Bottled Waters Lose Their Effervescence, Business Week, January 30, 2009
    16. "Fiji Water shuts down business after tax hike". Radio New Zealand International. November 29, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
    17. "Ganilau says Fiji Water row behind him quitting regime". Radio New Zealand International. November 18, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
    18. "Water works shut down as tax trickle turns into stream". Smh.com.au. November 30, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
    19. Mara Gay Contributor (November 29, 2010). "Fiji Water Leaves Fiji: 4 Things to Know About the Shutdown". Aolnews.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
    20. Adams, Guy (December 1, 2010). "Mineral water giant pulls plug on Fiji". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
    21. "A Bottled-Water Drama In Fiji". Retrieved March 26, 2017.
    22. "Update: FIJI Water to Reopen December 1". BevNET.com. December 2, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
    23. "Union tells workers to value FIJI Water pay". Radio New Zealand International. December 1, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
    24. "Fiji Water helps Fiji villages to produce to clean water". Radio New Zealand International. August 30, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
    25. "The Story of Bottled Water (2010)". storyofstuffproject=March 22, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
    26. "Cleveland Takes Offense at Fiji Water Ad, The Washington Post, July 20, 2006. Associated Press". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
    27. "Bottled Water Quality Report" (PDF). Fiji Water. Retrieved March 26, 2017.

    Further reading
    • Fishman, Charles (2011). The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. New York London: Free Press. ISBN 1439102082. ISBN 978-1439102084.
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