(Edited by Du Juanxi).
According to Radio France on January 31, a number of bottled water brands have committed fraud. At present, Nestlé has admitted that there are irregularities in the way it handles bottled mineral water.
Different from our national standards, according to the relevant regulations of France and the European Union, "natural mineral water" refers to natural and pure water, which can be drunk directly, and bottled water marked with the words "spring water" or "natural mineral water" should come from well-preserved groundwater resources, which is very pure natural water and must not be sterilized. According to French regulations on bottled water, bottled water can be divided into three grades, with "natural mineral water" ranking first in the water classification, followed by bottled water, "treated and drinkable water".
In the production process of "natural mineral water", it is stipulated that only certain filters are allowed to be used by the relevant producers to remove specific components such as iron and manganese particles from the water, and it is not allowed to use purification technology for products labeled "spring water" or "mineral water", and any form of disinfection of natural mineral water is expressly prohibited.
The "natural mineral water" produced by Nestlé in violation of regulations, including the main brand of "Perrier", is artificially "made" according to the tap water process using "polluted water". Nestlé claimed to have used disinfectants due to sporadic bacterial or chemical contamination, and had violated the use of ultraviolet disinfection and activated carbon filter technology to conceal the fact that the water had been contaminated, and packaged it as "natural mineral water" for sale.
France** noted that natural and drinkable water sources may no longer exist in France. For example, aquifers mined by Nestlé are often contaminated with microorganisms such as E. coli.