Latest news with #NestléWaters
LeMonde
25-06-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
Nestlé fined €533,000 in Switzerland for using banned filters in mineral water
Nestlé Waters has been fined €533,000 for having used activated carbon filters on its Henniez bottled mineral water, Swiss public prosecutors announced on Wednesday, June 25. The attorney general of western Switzerland's Vaud canton – where Nestlé has its headquarters, and where Henniez water is sourced – accused the global food giant's bottled water division of "misleading consumers" by having "natural mineral water" on the label between 2008 and 2022. "In doing so, the attorney general believes that the company obtained economic advantages by not complying with its legal labelling obligations," a statement said, announcing the fine. In France, Nestlé's bottled waters – which include the iconic Perrier brand – have been at the centre of a scandal since early 2024 regarding the use of micro-filtration processes. Banned for mineral waters, these processes were used by several producers, including Nestlé, as revealed by Le Monde and Radio France. Shortly afterwards, Swiss newspaper Le Temps revealed that the Nestlé Waters had also used carbon filters in the Henniez brand's factory in Switzerland. The attorney general's office said that during a 2020 inspection, it was discovered that the Henniez plant was using an activated carbon filtration process. The company was given until the end of 2022 to remove the carbon filter system. A follow-up inspection in March 2023 confirmed that the filter had indeed been decommissioned. However, the consumer office filed a complaint with the cantonal public prosecutors, accusing Nestlé Waters of concealing its use of the carbon filter. In 2024, Nestlé water brands generated sales of €3.4 billion.
E&E News
19-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Macron's office immersed in major Perrier mineral water scandal
PARIS — Call it the French Watergate. The iconic French mineral water brand Perrier is at the center of a fresh scandal that threatens to bubble over and hit the highest levels of government. Nestlé Waters lobbied France's government, including people close to French President Emmanuel Macron, to make possible the sale of branded mineral water that circumvented stringent French regulations, effectively misleading consumers, according to a damning Senate report released Monday. Advertisement At the heart of the accusations are Nestlé Waters's allegedly unauthorized use of carbon filters and ultraviolet light — methods normally used on tap water — to treat mineral water for several of its brands, including its flagship sparkling water Perrier. But France's stringent regulations aim to ensure that natural mineral water remains pure and unaltered, justifying the steep price tag paid by consumers.
Local France
14-02-2025
- Local France
French mineral water companies face new investigations
The magistrate had gone against the recommendation of prosecutors in launching the new investigation into the companies, the source said. The inquiry follows formal complaints made by the Foodwatch watchdog against Nestlé Waters – whose brands include Perrier, Contrex and Vittel – and Sources Alma, France's biggest mineral water producer. Foodwatch has led mounting pressure on the firms in recent years over their production methods. In 2024, Nestlé Waters admitted using banned filters and ultra-violet treatment on mineral waters, which must be processed naturally by law. Foodwatch accuses the companies of misleading consumers over the water in the latest complaint taken up by the magistrate. Another consumer group, CLCV, has also registered complaints which are being studied by magistrates. Foodwatch director general Karine Jacquemart said she hoped the investigations would 'smash the climate of impunity' surrounding the companies and 'shed all light on responsibility of Nestlé Waters and Sources Alma as well as the role of public authorities and particularly the government.' French media have already reported that the prime minister's office and president's office had in 2023 recommended letting Nestlé carry on with the microfiltering of water despite warnings from the government health service. The director general of health, Jerome Salomon, had called for the suspension of Nestlé's operations permit at its sites in the Vosges region of eastern France and production of Perrier at Vergeze. President Emmanuel Macron has denied giving in to lobbying by the Swiss food giant. Nestlé Waters paid €2million in September 2024 to avoid legal action over the use of illegal water sources and filtering, but says the filters it uses now are allowed by the government and that its water is 'pure'. Sources Alma had also previously been under investigation by prosecutors. The government's role in the water scandals has been under investigation by the French senate since November. The senate commission has already criticised the government. Alexandre Ouizille, the head of the commission, welcomed the criminal investigations. 'Each hearing we hold confirms to us the failure of ministries and administrative authorities,' he said.
