A scandal over contamination, illegal filtering and false advertising involving France’s two biggest producers of sparkling mineral water has bubbled to the surface in a new investigation after appearing to have been settled last year.
The two companies are Swiss-based Nestle Waters and Sources Alma, France’s largest producer. Among the companies’ brands are Perrier, Vichy Celestins, Vitel and Contrex.
The charges are that the two companies have continued selling water as “pure” and natural while continuing to use micro-filtering and ultra-violet treatment because the source water at some wells has had episodes of fecal and bacterial contamination.
Nestle paid a €2 million settlement last year to avoid legal action on its previous charges. The companies say that their filtering has been approved by the government, despite laws against it.
The new investigation by an examining magistrate, who has the power to bring charges, follows complaints by two watchdog groups, Foodwatch and CLCV, who also were responsible for some of the original complaints. The groups charge that the government has given special treatment to the two large companies.
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