Latest news with #mineralwater
National Post
11-08-2025
- National Post
Why the French are outraged that Perrier filtered its water: ‘This really is our Water-gate'
An iconic French brand dating back more than 160 years, Perrier's reputation has been rocked by a scandal. Last year, a joint investigation by Le Monde and Radio France revealed that at least a third of the country's mineral water brands — including Perrier, Contrex, Vittel and Hépar, owned by Nestlé Waters — had been illegally treated. Read More
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Is Perrier as pure as it claims? The bottled water scandal gripping France
France's multi-billion euro mineral water companies are under the spotlight because of climate change and growing concerns about the industry's environmental issue is whether some world-famous brands, notably the iconic Perrier label, can even continue calling themselves "natural mineral water".A decision in the Perrier case is due in the coming months. It follows revelations in the French media about illicit filtration systems that have been widely used in the industry, apparently because of worries about water contamination, after years of drought linked to climate change. "This really is our Water-gate," says Stéphane Mandard, who has led investigations at Le Monde newspaper. "It's a combination of industrial fraud and state collusion.""And now there is a real Sword of Damocles hanging over the head of Perrier."According to hydrologist Emma Haziza, "the commercial model of the big producers has worked very well. But it is absolutely not sustainable at a time of global climate change"."When you have big brands that feel they have no choice but to treat their water – that means they know there is a problem with the quality." The story hit the headlines a year ago in France after an investigation by Le Monde and Radio France revealed that at least a third of mineral water sold in France had been illegally treated, either with ultra-violet light, carbon filters or ultra-fine micro-meshes commonly used to screen out issue was not one of public health. The treated water was by definition safe to problem was that under EU law, "natural mineral water" – which sells at a huge premium over tap water – is supposed to be unaltered between the underground source and the bottle. That is the whole point of brands like Evian, Vichy and Perrier have been so successful in France and around the world, it is thanks to an appealing image of mountain-sides, rushing streams, purity and health-giving filtering the water, and the industry risks breaking the market spell. Consumers might begin to ask what they'd been paying matters for Perrier and its parent company Nestlé – as well as President Emmanuel Macron's government – is the charge that executives and ministers conspired to keep the affair quiet, covered up reports of contamination, and re-wrote the rules so that Perrier could continue using their investigations, Le Monde and Radio France alleged that the government considered the mineral water industry so strategic that it agreed to suppress damaging information. A senate inquiry into the affair accused the government of a "deliberate strategy" of "dissimulation".Responding to the allegations, the government has asked the European Commission to rule on what level of micro-filtration is permissible for "natural mineral water". Aurelien Rousseau, who was head of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne's cabinet at the time, admitted there had been an "error of appreciation" but insisted there was never any risk to public health. Earlier this year, at the senate hearing into the industry, Nestlé's CEO Laurent Freixe admitted that Perrier had indeed used illicit methods to treat its he also had another admission: that an official hydrologists' report into the company's historic site in the Gard department in southern France had recommended against renewing "natural mineral water" status for the company's raises the possibility that for the first time in its 160-year history, Perrier water may soon not be labelled as what people assume it to to the hydrologist Emma Haziza, "the link to climate change and global warming is absolutely established". And if Perrier is feeling the impact ahead of other companies, it is probably because its geographical location sets it from the remote mountain landscape you might imagine, Perrier's water is pumped from deep aquifers in the coastal plain between Nîmes and Montpellier, a short drive from the Mediterranean. The area is populous, heavily-farmed, and very hot."There has been a big climatic shift since 2017," says Haziza. "For five years there was a succession of droughts, which were particularly badly felt in the south." "All the aquifers were affected. This means not just the upper water-table, which is where everyday tap water comes from. We can now see that the deeper aquifers – which the companies thought were protected – are also being hit."The unforeseen is taking place. We are moving from a period in which companies could draw water from the deep aquifers and be sure they would be replenished, to a period in which it's obvious the whole system cannot go on."The analysis made by Haziza and other hydrologists is that there is now a clear link between deeper and surface aquifers. Contaminants (farm chemicals or human waste) that drain off the land in the increasingly frequent flash floods, can now make their way into the lower the same time, the effects of long-term drought and over-pumping mean these lower aquifers contain less volume, so any contamination will be more concentrated, the experts say."We can foresee that what has happened first at Perrier's site will happen to other producers in the years to come. That's why we need to move away from our current model of consumption," says Haziza. Last year at the Perrier site, three million bottles had to be destroyed because of a contamination. But the company insists that any problems are swiftly detected; and it disputes the claim that contaminants are entering the deep aquifers."We are pumping water from 130 metres underground, beneath layers of limestone," says Perrier hydrologist Jérémie Pralong. "We are 100% convinced of the purity of the water. And its mineral make-up is constant."Perrier says there is no EU ruling that specifically bans micro-filtration. The relevant text simply says that nothing must be done to disinfect or alter the mineral make-up of the water. The argument is over at what measure of micro-filtration alteration original Perrier source was first tapped by a local doctor in the 1860s, but it was under British management that the brand took off 50 years John Harmsworth – brother of newspaper magnates Lords Northcliffe and Rothermere – made Perrier a byword for mineral water across the British to company lore, Harmsworth took inspiration for the bottles' bulbous shape from the Indian clubs he used for exercise following a crippling car the bottling plant at Vergèze is still next to Harmsworth's residence and the original source. The plant has been heavily automated. A rail track connects with the SNCF network to bring hundreds of millions of cans and bottles every year to Marseille for export. The focus for the last year has been on a new brand: Maison Perrier. These energy and flavoured drinks are proving highly successful in France and around the advantage for Perrier is that the new beverages do not claim to be "natural mineral water". They can be treated and filtered without says the new brand is part of the mix, and that it has no intention of abandoning its original Source Perrier natural mineral water. It has stopped the ultra-fine (0.2 micron) microfiltration, and now uses a 0.45 micron system which has been agreed with has applied for "natural mineral water" status for just two out of the five drilling wells it was using for Perrier mineral water. A decision is due later this year.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Coca-Cola hit with massive recall as popular product is possibly contaminated: 'All impacted product has been removed from store shelves'
A recall of Coca-Cola-owned Topo Chico mineral water for possible contamination received a Class II risk assignment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June. As Newsweek reported, Coca-Cola issued the limited recall on May 28, and the FDA assigned the risk classification on June 17. The FDA has three recall classes. A Class II recall is a situation in which exposure to the product can "cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote." The Topo Chico recall occurred because of a potential contamination with Pseudomonas bacteria. This class of bacteria is commonly found in the environment, though a certain type can lead to "infections in the blood, lungs, urinary tract, or other parts of the body after surgery," according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited by Newsweek. The recall concerned 241 cases of Topo Chico Mineral Water distributed across five states: Arizona, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. Around 40 stores sold the water, including some Costco and Sam's Club locations, Fox Business reported. A spokesperson for Coca-Cola told Newsweek in mid-June that "all impacted product has been removed from store shelves." As of June 25, there were "no illnesses or adverse reactions," reported Food Safety News, though the recall remained active. Consumers who bought the affected 16.9-fluid-ounce bottles were asked to return or discard the product without drinking it. Food recalls are a crucial tool for regulators, companies, and consumers to help protect public health. In the Topo Chico case, Coca-Cola initiated a voluntary product removal in the public's best interest after a distributor informed the corporation about a concern. Viewed broadly, Coca-Cola has a more questionable record regarding its impact on human health and the planet. The company has consistently made the list of World's Worst Plastic Polluters based on audits by the Break Free From Plastic organization. In 2024, Coca-Cola was the largest known producer of branded plastic waste in the world, according to a study reported on by Axios. The production and use of plastic are problematic for various reasons, ranging from microplastic health risks — particularly in plastic-bottled beverages — to the generation of heat-trapping gases that warm the planet. How often do you worry about the quality of your drinking water? Never Sometimes Often Always Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. And, of course, there are complex issues about the nutritional effects of the company's many products. Topo Chico products are packaged in glass and occasionally aluminum, which Coca-Cola correctly touts as more recyclable than plastic. The company also promotes the health benefits of Topo Chico and other products, as well as its overall sustainability goals. Coca-Cola has achieved success in reducing plastic ring packaging, and it has prioritized water replenishment programs to restore usable water to communities. Yet critics have accused Coke of "greenwashing" — making pledges for sustainability efforts that it does not live up to or later retracts, such as when it walked back a commitment to reusable packaging, The Guardian reported. Meanwhile, the complexities of ensuring safe and uncontaminated drinking water are not a problem limited to Coca-Cola — critics have called for improving research and regulation in this area, as well. For consumers concerned about health and the environment, it's important to be aware of and responsive to food recalls, to think critically about companies' health claims and efforts, and to support brands that reduce plastic packaging. To save money while reducing microplastic concerns, consumers can also switch to reusable bottles made of non-plastic materials. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Nestle offices searched by police over mineral water allegations
Swiss food giant Nestle has confirmed its offices in France were being searched by local authorities. Nestle has been under investigation by a Paris judicial court since February for using unauthorised filters in the production of its bottled mineral waters. "We continue to cooperate fully with the authorities as we have always done," a spokesperson said on Thursday after reports emerged. The search was being carried out by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), according to Radio France. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The probe was triggered by allegations by non-profit Foodwatch that Nestle Waters was using illegal filtration systems for its water to mask contamination by bacteria and pesticides. Nestle Waters produces the Perrier and Contrex brands. Nestle Waters France said in February that microfiltration had been used for years in the industry to ensure the safety of natural mineral waters while preserving their mineral composition.
Bloomberg
04-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nestlé Adapts Perrier Microfiltration to Fit French Regulations
Nestlé SA 's filtering of its Perrier natural mineral water is now in compliance with French regulations after it was fined for illegal treatments last year. Nestlé Waters France has adapted the micro filters for Perrier water, the Swiss company said in a statement Thursday. It said the changes made in line with discussions with French authorities have no impact on the food safety or the mineral composition of the water that's sold globally in green, pear-shaped bottles.
