Is Dasani Water Bad? What Its Lab Report and Recalls Show

Is Dasani water bad? No, in our view it is safe, ordinary purified water: Coca-Cola’s 2024 lab analysis lists lead, arsenic, nitrate and coliform bacteria as not detected, and its only two US recalls, in 2014 and 2015, were voluntary and are long closed. Most of the dislike comes from taste. Until 2024 Dasani had added salt, which many people noticed, and it is purified city water sold at bottled water prices.

Below is what Dasani is made of, what its quality report shows, the recalls behind the bad reputation, and the downsides that are real.

Is Dasani water bad, or does it just taste different?

Mostly the second. Three reasons people give for avoiding it come up again and again in reviews and forums.

• The salty taste. Dasani used to add a little salt with its minerals. A 2024 Sporked review summed up the old complaint: “Dasani is salty.” In April 2024 Coca-Cola announced it was “removing sodium chloride (salt)” in response to consumer feedback.
• It starts as tap water. Coca-Cola’s report says most Dasani plants “procure water from municipal water systems.” People feel they are paying for something they already have at home.
• The UK recall in 2004. Coca-Cola pulled Dasani from Britain weeks after launch, which still follows the brand. We cover what happened below.

None of these mean the water is unsafe. They are about taste, value and an old story.

Is Dasani water safe to drink?

Yes. Coca-Cola posts an annual analysis done by an independent certified lab against FDA bottled water standards. In the 2024 report, these all came back as “ND,” not detected:

One limit of the report: it lists “PASS” rather than a number for chloride, sulfate and total dissolved solids, and it calls the results a “typical” analysis, not a test of every plant. That is common for purified brands, and it is the same style as Aquafina’s report.

What is Dasani water made of?

Coca-Cola lists the steps in this order: activated carbon filtration to take out chlorine and organic chemicals, reverse osmosis to remove minerals and other impurities, UV light to kill microbes, a small addition of minerals for taste, and finally ozone as the last disinfection step. Our guide to what purified water is explains why the FDA allows that label.

The minerals are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) and potassium chloride. Coca-Cola’s current web report lists only those two. Its 2024 PDF still lists salt as well, so older bottles on a shelf may carry the old recipe. Coca-Cola called the old salt level “dietarily insignificant,” and in our view that is fair; the change was about taste.

Has Dasani been recalled?

Yes, twice in the US and once in the UK, all years ago. FDA’s enforcement database shows:

• November 2014, Class III. Coca-Cola Bottling Company United recalled 4,136 cases of 500 mL bottles in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida after “an equipment malfunction during production that may have led to the appearance of mold in some product.”
• May 2015, Class II. 328,337 cases of 20 oz bottles in 13 Eastern states and DC were recalled because some bottles “may contain linear pieces of plastic from the bottle production.”

Both were voluntary and both are marked terminated. Our page on bottled water recalls covers how to check a lot code.

The UK case is the one people remember. In March 2004 the BBC reported that Coca-Cola recalled about 500,000 bottles after bromate tested above the UK limit of 10 parts per billion; Reuters put the samples at 10 to 22 ppb. Coca-Cola said the problem started with calcium it added that “did not meet our quality standards,” and bromate formed during processing. The UK Food Standards Agency said there was no immediate risk to health. Dasani never returned to the UK. The US formula does not add calcium.

Does Dasani have PFAS?

Consumer Reports’ 2020 bottled water tests put Dasani in its group of still waters with PFAS under 1 part per trillion; CR did not publish an exact figure for it. Dasani’s 2024 report does not include a PFAS panel. Reverse osmosis is one of the treatments that removes PFAS best, which is why purified brands tend to test low. Our page on whether Dasani has PFAS has more, and our list of bottled water without PFAS compares brands.

What are the real downsides of Dasani?

• No fluoride. The report lists it as not detected, while CDC recommends about 0.7 mg/L in community water for children’s teeth.
• Few minerals. The added minerals are there for taste, not nutrition. If you want calcium and magnesium from water, a mineral or spring water does more; see our guide to mineral vs purified water.
• Plastic. Coca-Cola says its 12 oz, 20 oz, 1 liter and 1.5 liter bottles have been made from 100% recycled plastic (not counting caps and labels) since 2022, but plastic bottles still shed tiny particles; our guide to microplastics in bottled water covers the studies.
• Cost. If your tap water is safe, a home reverse osmosis system makes very similar water for far less per gallon.

Is Dasani good water compared with Aquafina?

They are close cousins. Both start as city water and go through reverse osmosis. Aquafina adds no minerals, so it tastes plainer; Dasani adds magnesium and potassium for a slight mineral taste. On safety we would call them even. Our Aquafina review has its report, our ranking of purified water brands compares them, and the safest bottled water brands list puts both next to spring waters.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dasani water bad for you?

No. Its 2024 lab analysis found no detectable lead, arsenic, nitrate or coliform, and it met FDA bottled water standards. The common complaints are taste, price and plastic.

Why do people say not to drink Dasani water?

Mostly because of its old salty taste, because it is purified tap water, and because of a 2004 bromate recall in the UK. Coca-Cola removed the salt in 2024.

Does Dasani still have salt in it?

Coca-Cola announced in April 2024 that it was removing sodium chloride. Its current web report lists only magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride as added minerals.

Is Dasani just tap water?

Most plants start with city water, and a few use protected groundwater. It is then filtered with carbon, reverse osmosis, UV and ozone, so it is not the same as what comes from your faucet.

Has Dasani ever been recalled?

Yes. FDA records show a 2014 recall for possible mold and a 2015 recall for plastic pieces, both closed. In 2004 Dasani was recalled in the UK over bromate.

Is Dasani water good for drinking every day?

Yes, for most people. It is safe for daily hydration. It adds no fluoride and very few minerals, so it brings no extra benefit beyond hydration.

Sources

• The Coca-Cola Company, DASANI Purified Water Annual Analysis, 2024, and DASANI Bottled Water Report (California SB 220), checked November 3, 2026.
• The Coca-Cola Company, DASANI Makes a Splash in 2024 with Refreshed Packaging, Formula and Campaign, April 30, 2024.
• U.S. FDA food enforcement database: recalls F-0611-2015 and F-2789-2015, searched November 3, 2026.
• BBC News, Coke recalls controversial water, March 19, 2004.
• Sporked, Our Honest Review of the New Dasani Water Formula, May 13, 2024.
• Consumer Reports, What’s Really in Your Bottled Water?, September 24, 2020.
• CDC, community water fluoridation recommendation of 0.7 mg/L.