How to spot fake Narzan and Essentuki

In short: check the well number, the print quality of the label, the tamper-evident cap, the bottling date and whether the importer holds a Thai registration.

How do you tell genuine Narzan by the label?

Start with the printing: on the original the type is crisp, the edges are straight and the colours are in register. The label always carries the deposit and the well number, the water type under GOST R 54316-2020 and a composition table in mg/l: Narzan has a mineralisation of 2–3.5 g/l, Essentuki No. 4 of 7–10 g/l. On an imported batch in Thailand, a Thai sticker with the อย. registration and the importer's details is applied over the main label.

• Crisp printing, straight edges, colours in register
• The well number and the deposit
• Thai อย. registration on an imported batch

The bottle and the cap

The tamper ring on the cap should be intact, and the cap itself should sit tight with no tool marks. The shape and embossing of a genuine bottle repeat from batch to batch, so a crooked neck or an unfamiliar weight is a reason to be wary. The water should be clear, with no film or flakes. Mineral water can carry a natural sediment, and the label says so, but it should never look cloudy.

• The tamper ring on the cap is intact
• The shape and embossing of the bottle match the original
• The water is clear, with no strange sediment

Paperwork

The final check is the documents, and any buyer can ask for them. The importer should hold the producer's certificate for the batch and a Thai FDA licence, and the batch number on the case must match the one on the bottle. Buy from an official distributor, who answers for the whole chain from the plant to your door. We show these documents on request, and for wholesale customers it is a routine part of the deal.

• The producer's certificate and a Thai FDA licence held by the importer
• The batch number on the case matches the one on the bottle
• Buy from an official distributor

Sources

• GOST R 54316-2020: composition and type of Narzan and Essentuki No. 4 waters (table A.1)
• Thai FDA: Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 462 (2025) on prepackaged drinking water