France Perrier Owner Nestle Under Scrutiny Over Illegal Mineral Water Treatments Cover Up

France’s prestigious mineral water industry has been thrust into the spotlight following a damning report by the French Senate. At the centre of the controversy lies Perrier, the iconic fizzy water brand long recognised as “the champagne of table waters”. The report revealed that Nestlé Waters, which owns Perrier along with the Vittel brand, had employed unauthorised purification techniques for products marketed as natural mineral water. Under stringent EU regulations, natural mineral water must remain untreated to preserve its natural composition, distinguishing it from tap water.

According to the Senate, Nestlé Waters disclosed the use of these restricted filters to French authorities as early as 2021. However, the government allegedly failed to act promptly or notify other regulatory bodies. The report highlighted that even President Emmanuel Macron’s office had been made aware of the situation by 2022, though the administration reportedly delayed any decisive action. It accused the state of prioritising its relationship with the corporation over consumer transparency, leaving many misled by the claims of the product being untouched at source.

While the report confirms there was no immediate health risk to consumers, it emphasised that such practices breach public trust in an industry worth €2.7 billion and supporting over 41,000 jobs in France. The scandal deepened with allegations that government officials adapted certain public statements at Nestlé’s request to soften the impact. The Socialist Senator Alexandre Ouizille described these actions as “inexplainable, inexcusable, incomprehensible”.

The brewing controversy follows a 2019 whistleblower revelation about similar practices by other French water producers, sparking widespread discussions about adherence to regulatory standards within the industry. Nestlé Waters responded by paying a fine of €2 million to avoid legal proceedings over its non-compliance with filtration laws, maintaining during an earlier Senate hearing that its waters were “pure at the source”.

Green Senator Antoinette Guhl, also involved in the inquiry, labelled the episode as a state-level scandal and criticised the erosion of trust between both consumers and policymakers. Nestlé, for its part, has stated publicly that it respects the findings of the Senate while defending its transparency and commitment to resolving compliance issues. Nonetheless, the fallout has seen continued scrutiny, with Foodwatch, an independent watchdog, filing formal complaints over consumer deception and ongoing investigations by a Parisian judge.

The controversy casts a long shadow over France’s mineral water sector, one of the world’s leaders in natural water production. As regulatory inquiries persist, the affair raises broader questions about corporate accountability and the impartiality of governmental oversight in safeguarding public health and consumer rights.