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A confidential report from the French National Food Safety Agency, leaked this Thursday, April 4, 2024 by local media, calls into question the quality of the water from the springs that Nestlé uses for its bottled water. What's happening? What does the company respond?
The French health authority considers “insufficient” the level of confidence in the quality of the bottled water sold in France by the Swiss firm Nestlé, the largest food group in the world.
In a report dating from October 2023, and which was only released this Thursday by the local press, Anses (by its French acronym) underlined its lack of confidence “especially with regard to the variability of contamination and its microbiological and chemical vulnerability.”
For this reason, it announced a reinforced surveillance plan, taking into account the “virological health risk” caused by alleged “microbiological contaminations of fecal origin” in the regions, both of the Vosges (northeast of France), where Nestlé produces the Vittel brands, Contrex or Hépar, such as from Vergèze, in the southeast, where the Perrier brand is bottled.
“A report from the general inspection of social affairs, presented to the Government in July 2022 and revealed at the end of January by 'Radio France' and 'Le Monde', estimated that “At least 30% of bottled water brands used treatments prohibited by regulations, including all of the brands operated by Nestlé”says the investigation of 'Le Monde', one of the most prestigious newspapers in France.
The « sanitary quality » of Nestlé mineral products is not guaranteed, according to a confidential note from the Anses https://t.co/9nNWgwl4Cb
— Le Monde (@lemondefr) April 4, 2024
In a communication addressed by Nestlé to 'Le Monde' and 'France Info', the company indicated that it continues to produce natural mineral water in the springs of Vergèze and the Vosges and that “it meets the strict standards defined for a natural mineral water.” .
But that is not what the technicians who prepared the report think, who also confirmed the supposed widespread presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS), such as pesticide products, in the water used by Nestlé to bottle.
Pour foodwatch, which has appeared in this case of massive fraud for 9 infractions, l'opacité non seulement de Nestlé Waters et Sources Alma, but also by French authorities in this case of multiple and serious questions.https://t.co/g3GlFQODMj
— foodwatch France (@foodwatchfr) April 4, 2024
In February this year, consumer rights group Foodwatch filed a lawsuit against Nestlé Waters and the Sources Alma group over banned disinfection treatments they allegedly used in their mineral waters.
With EFE and local media
