Flow Water Inc.

Flow Water Inc. presents a critical categorization challenge: bottled water is not a craft food product and does not fit the Liveoras framework, which was designed for products with meaningful ingredient sourcing, processing craft, and maker heritage (coffee, chocolate, tea, olive oil, etc.). Water has no traceable origin claims, no processing method to evaluate, and no artisanal maker pedigree. On Pillar 1 (Sourcing), water scores near-zero because there is no origin transparency, no ingredient discipline (water is water), and no certifications applicable to the product itself. On Pillar 2 (Craft), bottled water has no processing craft, no roast-date or batch discipline, and no maker pedigree—it is industrial filling and sealing. On Pillar 4 (Ethics), while Flow holds B Corp certification (verified), and uses plant-based PHA plastic derived from sugarcane, the brand's impact is primarily packaging-focused rather than supply-chain ethics. The one genuine strength is Pillar 3 (Packaging): Flow's use of compostable/plant-based plastic bottles earns credit for material innovation, though true home compostability of PHA remains contested in municipal systems, and water's environmental footprint is inherently questionable (high transport mass for a commodity input). We could not find published evidence of third-party water-quality testing (NSF, UL), origin source disclosure, or mineralization transparency. B Corp certification is real but does not substitute for product-level rigor in a framework designed for food craft.