Perrier faces concerns after faecal matter found at source of sparkling water

Has Perrier’s bubble burst?

Despite efforts to keep the mineral product clean for consumers, water in one of seven wells in southern France used by the mineral water supplier showed traces of faecal matter after heavy rains earlier this year.

The company pours its rich water from the dry highlands near Vergèze, and the alarming discovery led to a suspension in April, causing the destruction of more than 2 million bottles of the popular fizzy drink.

At the same time, a redacted 2023 regulator report leaked to French media and reported by Bloomberg revealed that traces of cancer-linked pesticides – banned three decades ago – were found in Perrier’s source water.

In 1990, Perrier faced an infamous recall after trace amounts of benzene were found in 160 million separate green bottles of Perrier, which were pulled from shelves in 120 countries.

In September, Perrier’s Swiss owner, Nestlé SA, agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a fraud case that accused the company of illegally filtering the globe’s largest bottled water. water– exporting country.

Although Nestlé admitted it had been filtering the water “for a long time”, according to Bloomberg, the company claims it is now in compliance with the country’s rules – although there are concerns about possible continued contamination of water sources, especially in light of the rains of last dense. .

“Our operating conditions are becoming more difficult, especially due to the environmental challenges associated with climate change, with heavy rains and droughts becoming more frequent and more intense,” Sophie Dubois, general manager of Nestlé Waters France.

However, since Perrier must collect its water through springs near Vergèz, the company is put in the difficult situation of potentially producing drinks with filtration methods that run afoul of French law – or risk “chronic pollution,” as described in the revealed report of 2023. .

The company admits that further bouts of weather “will mean more fluctuations in our product levels”, classifying it as the “new normal”.

In the wake of the latest settlement, Foodwatch, a consumer rights group, filed a lawsuit claiming the ruling allowed the company to “bury the issue.”

Dubois added that the company has made efforts “to ensure perfect hygiene and food safety”, and Nestlé says it has “invested significantly” in production to “secure its future”.