According to a recent investigation by Radio France and Le Monde, at least one-third of the bottled water brands sold in France have been fraudulent, and the so-called "natural mineral water" is actually "made" from "water at risk of contamination" according to the tap water process.
According to the report, the cause was an interdepartmental meeting held by the French Ministry of Economy and Health in February 2023, with an agenda involving Nestlé and its bottled water production base in France.
Investigative journalists from Le Monde and Radio France obtained the minutes of the meeting, which referred to "intensifying the testing of water with bacteria and viruses".
The minutes note that at the request of the producers, after several discussions with Nestlé, then-French Prime Minister Elisabeth Bornet approved Nestlé to go below 0Microfiltration procedure of 8 μm.
Investigative journalists became intrigued by what appeared to be a highly technical document and launched an investigation.
How did high-end mineral water come about?
In fact, back in 2020, there were rumors that French bottled water producers were using non-compliant production methods.
France's Alma Group has more than 30 bottled water brands in France, including Cristaline, the cheaper and "favorite bottled water of the French", as well as the "high-sounding" Saint-Yorre, Vichy Célestins and Ch Teldon.
Among them, Charterdam is also known as the most expensive mineral water in the world. The brand's official website advertises, "This extraordinary water, known among the princes and nobles of Versailles for its digestive properties", reads.
Based on a report from an employee of the Alma Group's factory, the French ** department launched an investigation. It was found that the company had subjected its mineral water to non-compliant treatments, such as the injection of iron sulfate and industrial carbon dioxide, substandard microfiltration standards, and the so-called"Mineral water"or"Natural spring water"Mix with tap water coming out of the tap. The more than 120-page report is currently locked in the office of the prosecutor of the Auroa region in France.
Alma Group denied this. The head of the group said that the incident had been reported for a long time, and that they did not use non-compliant bottled water production methods.
Nestlé has "proposed" changes to the regulations in France.
In the 2020 investigation, the French ** department also "followed the vine" and found that the illegal production of bottled water was far more than the Alma Group.
In a list of customers who bought the same non-compliant filters, investigators were surprised to find Nestlé's name.
Nestlé has two mineral water production sites in France, one in Vosges, which produces bottled water under the Vittel, Contrex and Hépar brands, and the other in Verge, where Perrier is produced.
Nestlé produces one-third of the bottled water available in France.
According to Radio France, in August 2021, Nestlé held a closed-door meeting with France**. At the meeting, representatives of Nestlé not only admitted to illegal production, but also made "suggestions" to France** to study whether the relevant regulations could be amended to make the way they produce bottled water compliant.
Is it that the rules are too strict?
According to French regulations on bottled water, bottled water can be divided into three grades. The first is "natural mineral water", which refers to natural and pure water that can be drunk directly. According to the manufacturer's publicity, brands such as Perrier, Vitu and Evian all belong to the category of "natural mineral water".
Then there's bottled water, which includes cheap Chrystin.
The last level is "treated and drinkable water", which is usually treated in the same way as tap water, and is very different from the previous two levels of bottled water. In particular, "natural mineral water", which is usually taken from deep underground aquifers, can only be filtered in a limited way, and carbon filtration and ultraviolet filtration are strictly prohibited.
France** only allows producers of "natural mineral waters" to use certain filters that remove specific components from the water, such as iron and manganese particles.
Producers vigorously market the concept of "raw purity" of these natural mineral waters. For this reason, the average French person spends hundreds of euros per year to buy this drinking water. They are 100 times more expensive than tap water, but producers say they are purer, healthier and better for the human body.
Why illegal production?
The way Nestlé has produced it over the years shows that the company's natural mineral water is neither "pure" nor "natural".
Why would Nestlé take the risk of producing bottled water in violation of regulations? France** noted that aquifers mined by Nestlé are often contaminated with microorganisms, such as E. coli. Pesticide residues have also been found in the source of Perrier.
Nestlé's official statement is that "due to changes in climate and environment, the multiplication of extreme events such as droughts and floods, combined with the expansion of human activities around production sites, has made it very difficult to maintain the stability of the basic properties of natural mineral water.""。
France** said that Nestlé had done multiple filtration in consideration of the safety of drinking water. However, the same filtration method as tap water is used, but it is sold much more expensive than tap water, which is suspected of fraud.
France, on the other hand, became aware of this fact as early as 2021, but kept it a secret and granted Nestlé an exemption. It was only last year that French prosecutors conducted a preliminary investigation and promised to bring charges against the fraud.
Netizen comments: I thought it was a high-end drink.
Netizens also discussed this matter, and some people said that they thought Perrier was a high-end drink.
The slash young woman was stunned for a moment: My Perrier water suddenly didn't smell good.
Didu Protection: I thought it was a high-end product, so I took it.
Rice cooker rice is fragrant: terrible, I think it's very expensive, fortunately I choose not to drink.
Some people also said that for the sake of safety, it is better to bring water in the future.
Right and wrong: It's better to bring water, and it's better to bring a kettle than anything else.
Whether it is a white sentence: I usually bring my own thermos cup, which is more convenient.
*: Comprehensive orange persimmon interaction, netizen comments.