The production and marketing of mineral water in 21st century Spain

Abstract

Since the end of the last century, Spain has become a country of reference in the European Union due to its volume of bottled mineral water. This study aims to analyze the evolution of the key aspects of this sector over the last two decades. Through this research, it has been verified that (i) Spanish mineral water has been analyzed for a long time from a medicinal and geochemical point of view, and not so much in commercial analysis; (ii) water has great diversity due to the abundance of hydrogeological domains that this country offers; (iii) a very strict legal framework must be complied for its commercialization; (iv) its consumption has been growing; and (v) the business structure is characterized by the predominance of a small group of companies, with a very important role in multinational corporations. Three nature reserves: Montseny, Sierra Nevada, and Guadarrama Mountains, stand out from the rest of the Spanish territory in terms of catchment and packaging of natural mineral water, which is an increasingly strategic resource.