French authorities have ordered Nestlé to remove system filters from its Vergèze and Vosges sites in France, which produce bottled water brands such as Perrier and Contrex.
According to Le Monde, the prefecture of the Gard region demanded yesterday (7 May) that the Swiss food and drinks giant stop using “0.2 micron diameter filters” at its Perrier plant in Vergèze, and that it had two months to remove them.
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The Vosges prefecture also sent the same demand to the company regarding its site in Vosges which produces Vittel, Contrex and Hépar bottled waters.
Nestlé’s waters unit told Just Drinks it was “determined to seek solutions to the requests of the Prefects of the Gard and Vosges to withdraw, within two months, the 0.2 micron microfiltration”.
It said in a brief statement that a “technical solution” had already been found for the Vosges location, which will impact Contrex and Hépar, but the plan still “must be validated by authorities”.
The Vittel brand “is not affected by this type of microfiltration”, the group said.
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By GlobalDataThe Milo producer also noted it was looking to find a solution for the Vergèze location which would allow it to continue using a natural mineral water source for its Perrier products.
It added that both prefectures “emphasise the health compliance of all products marketed to date”.
The Acqua Panna maker has had its water production under scrutiny since January last year, when it admitted to breaching regulations in France regarding how it treats bottled mineral water against contamination.
In April, Nestlé’s CEO Laurent Freixe told French senators the company would be starting an internal audit of its water production in France.
Speaking to the Senate in a hearing, he said the review would take “a few months” to complete and that it was “essential if we are to learn all the lessons we need to, and I will draw all the necessary conclusions from it”.
In his opening remarks, Freixe said its waters division had been informed about an “unfavourable opinion” from a hydrogeologists’ report on the continued use of wells for natural mineral water production at its Vergèze facility in the Gard region of southern France.
The Senate’s findings from the inquiry are due on 19 May.
Last year, Nestlé confirmed its waters business had used different purification treatments on products labelled as “mineral water”, including those sold under brands such as Perrier and Vittel, which are produced at its Vergèze and Vosges facilities in France.
According to Le Monde at the time, Nestlé reportedly used disinfectants “due to sporadic bacterial or chemical contamination”, which are not permitted under French law on products labelled as ‘spring’ or ‘mineral’ water.
In a statement, Nestlé then said it used “microfiltration at [its] waters sites at a finer level than was previously recognised by the French authorities”.
“We have also used activated carbon filters and ultraviolet systems which, though permitted by other jurisdictions, are not in line with applicable French natural mineral water regulations,” Nestlé added.
It said it had “proactively” reported this to the French authorities in 2021 and “presented them with several options to ensure compliance moving forward”.
France launched the parliamentary inquiry into the company’s domestic water business in April last year.
In December, a confidential report from L’Agence Régional de Santé Occitanie (ARS) suggested Nestlé’s waters division should consider ceasing production at its Vergèze site due to health risks.
Viewed by Le Monde and Radio France, the report allegedly recommended “stopping production of mineral water at the Vergèze site” in the south of France.
Nestlé and its local peer Sources Alma are also said to be facing a judicial probe by the Paris court, launched in February over treatment of their bottled waters.
A judge from the public health division of the Paris judicial court opened an investigation into both groups, a judicial source informed local outlets Le Monde and Radio France.
The reported opening of an investigation follows the re-submission of two complaints against Nestlé Waters France and Sources Alma by non-profit group Foodwatch last year, which included accusations of “deception”.
In September, Nestlé agreed a settlement and a €2m ($2.2) fine with French authorities over claims of breaching laws on mineral water and illegal drilling.
Foodwatch condemned the court’s decision at the time. The NGO’s director of public information, Ingrid Kragl, then said the move was “a scandalous decision that sends a very bad message about the climate of impunity”.
