Pallets of Perrier bottled mineral waters are still blocked from the market by local authorities in France following a bacterial analysis of one of Nestlé’s wells in Vergèze.
An investigative report from Radio France shared by Franceinfo suggests two of the group’s mineral water wells had been shut for a five-day period last week after new bacterial contamination was found at its Vergèze site in the Gard department.
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The outlet said 2,415 pallets of Perrier bottles were still being held by health authorities, equating to around four million bottles.
When questioned on the topic by Just Drinks, Nestlé’s water business said: “As is normal in these situations, some pallets were blocked at our site.
“These will remain at our site until further notice from the relevant authority”.
The Acqua Panna brand owner declined to confirm the exact number of pallets currently being held from the market in Vergèze.
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By GlobalDataJust Drinks has contacted regional health authority l’Agence régionale de Santé (ARS) d’Occitanie to confirm the number of bottles that have been blocked.
Nestlé’s water unit insisted: “Source Perrier natural mineral water, bottled in Vergèze, is safe to drink.”
Commenting on the recent bacterial assessment, the group said: “A recent anomaly in one of our standard analyses was quickly disproved. All follow-up tests ruled out any contamination, confirming no microbiological deviation at our well.”
Production at the Perrier site continues to take place “as normal”, it said, “under the control of the authorities”.
The Vittel maker confirmed two wells had been shut but the closure of one was due to a power outage.
Two weeks ago, a French court ruled Nestlé could continue to market its Perrier water products in France using the term “natural mineral water”.
The Nanterre judicial court rejected a request from French consumer rights group UFC Que-Choisir to remove Perrier water products from the market.
Nestlé and its water business have been under scrutiny over the past 18 months after admitting to breaking French laws in how it treated bottled mineral water against contamination.
In May, French authorities ordered the company to remove system filters from its Vergèze and Vosges sites in France, which produce bottled water brands such as Perrier and Contrex.
Two months later, in a separate probe, the headquarters of Nestlé’s operations of France were raided by local authorities. The investigation was a result of a complaint from consumer rights group Foodwatch, the French government’s General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) said at the time.
