Released on 19 May, the report said that the “highest levels” of the French Government covered up the use of prohibited treatments during the production of natural mineral water products by Nestlé.
Nestlé Waters admitted to using banned filters and ultra-violet treatment on mineral waters, including those sold by the brand Perrier, in 2024 and paid a €2 million fine.
However, the Senate report, which follows a six-month-long inquiry involving more than 70 hearings, concluded that President Emmanuel Macron’s office had known “at least since 2022, that Nestle had been cheating for years”.
According to reports by France 24, the use of use of prohibited treatments for mineral water at Perrier, Contrex and Hépar sites was discovered in 2020 by new management at Nestlé Waters, which reached out to the French Government for help in mid-2021.
A plan to replace the use of prohibited ultraviolet treatments with microfiltering was approved by the authorities 18 months later.
“In addition to Nestle Waters’ lack of transparency, it is important to highlight the state’s lack of transparency, both towards local and European authorities and towards the French people,” the Senate report said.
“Nearly four years later, transparency has still not been achieved.”
In response to the publication of the report, a Nestlé spokesperson said that the firm had noted the conclusions French Senate Committee of Inquiry on practices in the bottled water industry.
“With food safety as a primary goal, the company reiterates that all its natural mineral water products on the market have always been and remain safe to drink, and their unique minerality is as shown on the label,” the spokesperson added.
“The company welcomes the Committee of Inquiry’s focus on protecting the unique heritage of France’s mineral water resources – a matter of critical importance for all players in the natural mineral water industry.
“Nestlé Waters has a long-standing commitment to preserving water resources at all its sites through concrete initiatives carried out in close collaboration with local stakeholders – such as those already in place in the Gard and Vosges regions in France.”
