A report released by the French Senate has accused the state of covering up Nestlé’s illegal treatment of mineral water at three sites: Perrier, Hépar, and Contrex. The report found that Nestlé had been using unauthorized processes at these locations, violating EU law.
Key Findings
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Discovery of Issues: Nestlé admitted to discovering the issue in late 2020 but did not disclose it until mid-2021 when they approached the government and the president. A spokesperson for Nestlé stated, "We discovered an issue with our production process in late 2020. We immediately began working on a solution."
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Regulatory Approval: It was not until August 2022 that authorities approved a plan to replace banned methods with microfiltration. This change could alter the properties of natural mineral water under EU law.
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Lack of Transparency: The French Senate criticized both Nestlé’s lack of transparency and the state’s behavior towards authorities and citizens during this period. The report noted that there were no legal consequences for either company involved in this case.
Statements from Officials
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Senator Jean-François Eliaou, who led the investigation, expressed disappointment over the lack of accountability: "We are deeply disappointed by this lack of accountability." He highlighted that Nestlé had acknowledged using unauthorized processes at its Perrier site since 2019 but claimed to have replaced them with microfiltration.
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Eliaou remarked, "Eighteen months after being informed by us (Nestlé), we have finally obtained approval from authorities to replace banned methods with microfiltration," but added, "This does not mean we can be confident about what happened before."
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He also questioned the absence of legal consequences: "It is unacceptable that there have been no sanctions or penalties imposed on companies or individuals responsible for these practices."
Government Response
In light of the findings, the French government has promised to increase transparency around food production practices. This follows criticism over its handling of allegations against Nespresso last year regarding coffee capsules made from recycled plastic waste without permission from local residents.
In response to the Senate’s report, President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated that his administration would “take all necessary measures” to ensure compliance with European Union regulations regarding natural mineral water production and to promote greater transparency around such practices going forward.
Nestlé declined to comment further beyond acknowledging receipt of the findings.
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