The Australian Beverages Council (ABC) and the Australian Bottled Water Institute (ABWI) have jointly lodged an application to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) amid growing concerns of tooth decay in children.

"There is an increasing number of calls from consumers and health professionals for bottled waters to contain fluoride" said a spokeswoman for ABWI.Adding fluoride to bottled water slots into the current trend for beverages with a healthy twist, and could significantly boost sales in a bottled market already worth €350 million by providing producers with an ideal opportunity to cash in on the lucrative health development.

While the Australian Dental Association believes there is a correlation between the rise in sales of bottled water and tooth decay in young children, pointing to the fact that fluoride is added to local water supplies in order to prevent this, the ABWI rejects the claim.

"Whilst the industry does not accept that the increase in bottled water consumption is directly related to a reported increase in dental caries… we do accept that there is a demand by some consumers and hence the industry will work toward meeting that demand" said the ABWI spokeswoman.FSANZ recently accepted the application into its general work plan and it will take 18 months before FSANZ commence work on the assessment. The project is expected to take four years before completion said the ABWI's spokeswoman.