Nestle Waters, the world’s largest bottled water supplier, used “food safety” measures that violated French legislation, stated that it has run various waters, including Perrier and Vittel, via ultraviolet light and active carbon filters “to ensure food safety,” corroborating an early claim by business daily Les Echos. Nestle stated that it “lost track of the importance of regulatory compliance,” but that all of the affected brands now meet French criteria.
It says it informed the French authorities in 2021. Nestle did not immediately disclose when it stopped treating water sold under the Perrier, Vittel, Hepar, and Contrex brands. French legislation prohibits any disinfectant treatment of mineral waters, which are presumed to be safe to consume as they emerge from their sources. In contrast, tap water is disinfected before it is deemed safe to drink.
It stated that there had been “changes in the environment around its sources, which can sometimes make it difficult to maintain stability of vital characteristics” in the water, including the absence of contamination and mineral composition.
Nestle
Since discontinuing the treatments, this has halted production at some wells in the Vosges district of eastern France due to their “sensitivity to climate hazards,” prompting it to reduce Hepar and Contrex production.
Source: guardian.ng
