UL Launches New Certification Program for Bottled Water

New Mark enables producers of bottled water to effectively
demonstrate third-party validation of product quality and safety
NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(Business Wire)--
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced today a new certification
program for bottled water. This new program enables consumers of
bottled water to choose brands that have been validated by UL to meet
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Bottled Water
Association (IBWA) requirements for quality and safety. This Mark will
also enable producers of bottled water to differentiate and more
effectively communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of
their product.

"The introduction of this new Mark for bottled water is a natural
extension of UL's commitment to public safety," said Jeff Smith,
general manager, UL Global Water Business. "Consumers can feel
confident that when they see the UL Certified Water Quality Mark on
bottled water, that the global leader in product safety certification,
with more than 100 years of service, has independently tested the
safety and quality of the water."

The announcement of the new Certified Water Quality Mark
demonstrates UL's continuing commitment and leadership in water
quality. In the summer of 2007, UL commissioned a blind market
research study to quantify the value of the UL Mark among U.S.
consumers of bottled water. The study found that in every tested
scenario there was significant consumer preference for bottled water
brands that carry the UL Mark, and that many consumers would switch
brands or pay more to get the benefits of the UL Mark.

"High consumer preference toward the UL Mark demonstrates the
public's desire for independent verification that bottled water meets
all federal regulations for quality and safety," said Ann Marie
Gebhart, UL Water Program director. "The UL Mark is one of the most
widely recognized and trusted safety symbols in the world. Bottled
water manufacturers who partner with UL can now very effectively
communicate their commitment to the quality and safety of their
products."

The new UL Certified Water Quality Mark will first be available
for bottled water products intended for distribution in the United
States. Consumers can be assured that bottled water bearing the Mark
is produced at plants audited by UL, and those audits are inclusive of
the IBWA, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements. To date, UL has analyzed
more than 1.5 million water samples for thousand of bottlers, public
water supplies, engineering firms, consultants, and state and federal
agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
U.S. military. UL's water laboratory is certified in 48 states and
Puerto Rico, making it the most certified laboratory for bottled water
analysis.

The introduction of the new Certified Water Quality Mark for
bottled water is the latest in a series of milestones for UL's Water
Program. UL's drinking water analytical laboratory in South Bend,
Ind., has more than 20 years of experience analyzing bottled water in
accordance with FDA standards. Highly active in water safety and
quality, UL staff has served on the Technical and Government Relations
committees for the IBWA and continues to make presentations to the
water industry. In 2007, UL was awarded the IBWA Plant Inspection
Contract, allowing UL to conduct unannounced annual third-party audits
of bottled water plants for IBWA members and candidate members.

UL's water quality certification program is fully accredited in
the United States and Canada. UL is a recognized certifier of water
products and water testing by the EPA and is an active participant on
numerous national standards committees and industry task groups.

For more information on UL's classification Mark for bottled water
or its certification services for drinking water treatment units,
contact Dan Klaybor at 1-800-332-4345, ext. 45530, or
Daniel.C.Klaybor@us.ul.com.

About UL

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit
product safety certification organization that has been testing
products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL
evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials
and systems annually, with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 71,000
manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies
and network of service providers include 66 laboratory, testing and
certification facilities serving customers in 104 countries. For more
information, visit www.ul.com.

Slack Barshinger
Colleen Campbell
Public Relations
Tel: (312) 970-5881
Colleen.Campbell@slackbarshinger.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008