Perrier in hot water? France rocked by scandal over bottled water purity claims

France's thriving bottled water market, where familiar names like Perrier, Evian, and Vittel reside, is now hit with its largest credibility crisis in decades, as news of unreported water treatment practices casts a shadow over the integrity of the long-promoted "natural mineral water" product, as per a report.

France’s Bottled Water Industry Under Scrutiny

The issue arose as Perrier, a global brand for mineral water and one of the world's most recognized water brands, is now under investigation for allegedly quietly filtering its water, despite strict EU regulations declaring "natural mineral water" must never be altered from source to bottle, as reported by the BBC.

A ruling that would strip Perrier of its mineral water classification is imminent in a matter of months, and if that happens, it would bring to an end a 160-year tradition and perhaps lose consumer confidence, according to the report.


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Secret Water Treatments Raise Red Flags

The investigation comes after revelations in the French media about illicit filtration systems that have been widely used in the industry, reportedly due to worries about water contamination, after years of drought linked to climate change, as reported by the BBC.

Stéphane Mandard, who has led investigations at Le Monde newspaper, "This really is our Water-gate," adding, "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," as quoted in the report.

Hydrologist Emma Haziza highlighted that, "the commercial model of the big producers has worked very well. But it is absolutely not sustainable at a time of global climate change," adding, "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," as quoted in the BBC report.

The scandal broke after Le Monde and Radio France reported that at least one-third of France's bottled water manufacturers had been illegally treated, either with ultra-violet light, carbon filters or ultra-fine micro-meshes commonly used to screen out bacteria, as per the BBC report.

Perrier and its parent company Nestlé, along with President Emmanuel Macron's government, have been charged that the 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 micro-filtration, as reported by BBC.

Le Monde and Radio France's investigation allegedly found that the government considered the mineral water industry so strategic that it agreed to suppress damaging information, according to the report. Even a Senate inquiry into the affair accused the government of a "deliberate strategy" of "dissimulation," as quoted in the report.

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Could Perrier Lose Its Mineral Water Status?

In response to the allegations, the government has asked the European Commission to rule on what level of micro-filtration is permissible for "natural mineral water," as reported by BBC. 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, as reported by BBC.

FAQs

What’s the scandal with Perrier water about?
Perrier allegedly filtered its water secretly, which violates EU rules for products labeled as “natural mineral water.”

Why can’t mineral water be filtered?
EU laws say "natural mineral water" must remain untouched from the source to the bottle, no treatment allowed.