Are Nestlé's French mineral waters safe to drink? What's your response to media reports on the ANSES report of October 2023?
Nestlé Waters France reaffirms that the food safety and quality of its natural mineral waters has always been guaranteed and remains our priority. The natural mineral waters marketed under the Hépar, Contrex, Vittel and Perrier brands are completely safe to drink, and their mineral composition is as described on their labels.
Over the last 3 years, Nestlé Waters France has undertaken a transformation plan in total transparency and under the control of the French authorities by sharing with them all the data relating to our natural mineral waters at our two production sites in Vosges and Vergèze.
On April 5, 2024, Nestlé Waters France gained access to the report of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), referenced in media reports on April 4, 2024. Issued in October 2023, the purpose of the ANSES report was to provide scientific and technical support to local control authorities supervising our French Waters sites. The report helped the authorities assess and oversee the implementation of additional controls at our French Waters sites that were put in place at the end of 2023. The authorities did not share the report with Nestlé Waters. However, we want to reiterate that:
- Nestlé Waters France operates under an integrated quality management system, shared with, and controlled by, the relevant authorities to ensure the food safety of all our products. These quality management procedures include filtration and strict cleaning of the water pipes and more than 1,500 daily analyses at our French waters sites covering multiple parameters (including physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory aspects), to continue to ensure the food safety and quality of each of our natural mineral waters throughout the production process;
- Nestlé Waters France has also strengthened its control as part of its transformation plan at our French Waters sites and in strict agreement with, and under the control of, the relevant authorities. The results of our analyses are constantly shared with the authorities who regularly test our mineral waters, both at source and the finished product, to confirm compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements, including food safety and quality standards.
Has Nestlé been treating its natural mineral waters?
With food safety as a primary goal, practices at some of our waters production sites may not be in line with the applicable regulatory framework. We regret this situation and, as part of our review, we are committed to taking action under the supervision of the relevant authorities to ensure that our waters operations comply with the applicable regulatory framework.
Is Nestlé treating its French natural mineral waters contrary to regulations?
Today, all the waters bottled by Nestlé Waters France, including Perrier, Vittel, Hépar, and Contrex, comply with the applicable French regulatory framework. This follows a transformation plan at our French natural mineral waters production sites under the supervision of the relevant authorities.
Some media report that Nestlé uses ultraviolet light and activated carbon filter treatments for its European natural mineral waters. Is it true?
Today, all our French and Swiss natural mineral waters comply with the applicable regulatory framework. Following the announcement of our review, which is still ongoing, we are investigating the operating practices at our Waters sites in several countries.
How long have these historic practices been in place at some Nestlé Waters sites?
We have reason to believe that these practices were in place for a long time. We are looking into an internal review to understand how something like this could have happened, and to ensure it does not repeat in future.