EDEN Springs® Artesian Water Wins Silver Medal at International Water Tasting

11 April 2007

Grayling, Michigan - Eden Springs Artesian Water received a silver medal at the 2007 Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting held February 23 and 24 in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

The Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting is the largest and longest running water tasting competition in the world. Judges for the 2007 award included journalists and representatives from Condé Nast, Harper's Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Baltimore Sun, Pittsburgh Business Journal, Philadelphia New Observer, Times-Union, Frederick News-Post, and NBC-TV.

Arthur von Wiesenberger, international water expert and noted author from Santa Barbara, California, trained the judges and directed the challenge of evaluating a product "where tastelessness is the most sought after quality." Following techniques very much like those at a wine tasting, the waters are judged based on aroma, appearance, taste, mouth feel, and aftertaste. EDEN Springs received a score of 449, three points shy of the highest score awarded in its category.

The purest, most refreshing water Eden has been able to find, Eden Springs Artesian Water is crisp and clear. It has the rare quality of being an alkaline water with pH 7.9 combined with a very low mineral content.

Eden Springs earned the 2007 Berkeley Springs silver medal entered under the private label John Deere Artesian Water. Eden Springs also received the bronze medal at Berkeley Springs in 2003 under its bottler's label, Avita.

Bottled at its source just four hours north of Eden Foods headquarters, Eden Springs comes from the heart of northern lower Michigan on a private 200 acre estate completely surrounded by thousands of acres of the AuSable State Forest ~ an estate family owned since 1929.

The water flows from an aquifer consisting of very porous glacial sand and gravel alluvium that is several hundred feet thick. It is sandwiched between impermeable clay layers from above and below. The well has flowed constantly for over 50 years at a constant temperature of 44°F.

Eden Springs is naturally filtered as it percolates through the glacial sand and rock in the confined aquifer. Water rises to the surface and flows into a tank where it is gravity fed to a pump house and moved 1,800 feet to the bottling line. Bottles are inverted and sprayed with ozonated water (the same water that is used to fill the bottles). The rinse water is drained, the bottles are conveyed to a rotary filler and are gravity filled and capped.

Eden's bottling system is certified by NSF International, the world's leading independent organization dedicated to public health safety and protection of the environment. An independent laboratory confirms zero contaminants: No arsenic, tritium, bromate, percholate, or any other undesirable element.

"Last December, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that in 2006, Americans bought more bottled water than beer for the first time," said Mr. von Weisenberger. However the majority of it is tap water sold by the world's two largest soft drink makers. In refreshing contrast, Eden Springs is the clear choice for true water connoisseurs and anyone desiring a healthful bottled water of great taste and exceptional purity.

Eden Springs Artesian Water comes in three sizes of PET (#1) plastic, the safest and most widely recyclable of all plastic containers. It also comes in one liter (33.8 fl. oz.) silk-screened glass bottle. EDEN Springs is kosher pareve.