A preliminary investigation for deception was opened by the Epinal public prosecutor’s office for deception against Nestlé Waters, suspected of having used illegal treatments to purify its mineral waters, we learned this Wednesday, January 31 to the public prosecutor.
The opening of this investigation, on an unspecified date, follows a report from the Regional Health Agency (ARS), prosecutor Frédéric Nahon told AFP, confirming media information. The world and Radio France.
The investigations were entrusted to the national investigations service of the DGCCRF and “are still in progress, in particular to establish whether the name ‘natural’ mineral water is misleading or not”, further indicated the magistrate. According to the regulations, for water to qualify as “natural mineral” or “source”, disinfection devices must not be used.
“Non-compliant processing”
Excerpts from a report from the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (Igas) published by Radio France and Le Monde state that “30% of French brands resort to non-compliant treatments to continue to sell water that is initially unclean to consumption.
Igas was entrusted in 2021 with a “mission to inspect natural mineral water and spring water packaging plants” in France, after the world number one in mineral water Nestlé Waters (Perrier , Vittel, Hépar, Contrex) has acknowledged to the authorities “non-compliant treatment practices on (its) production sites”, such as ultraviolet light and activated carbon filters, a government source confirmed to AFP on Tuesday. The ARS had made a report to the public prosecutor on the basis of article 40 after being informed of this practice by the world number one mineral water company.
According to the regional daily Vosges Morning, the preliminary investigation was opened in January 2023 by the Epinal public prosecutor’s office. The investigation of World and Radio France is also targeting the Alma group, which produces around thirty brands of bottled water in France including Cristaline, Saint-Yorre and Vichy Célestins.