Nestlé Waters faces scrutiny over prohibited water treatment practices

Nestlé Waters is facing legal scrutiny in France over allegations that its brands, including Perrier, Vittel, Contrex, and Hépar, were marketed as ‘natural mineral water’ despite undergoing prohibited treatment processes. Investigations by Le Monde and Radio France revealed that the company used advanced microfiltration, active carbon filters, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection to address bacterial and virological contamination in certain sources, such as Perrier wells.

Under French regulations, natural mineral water is prohibited from undergoing disinfection from the source to the bottle, with filtration limited to a maximum of 0.8 microns. However, evidence suggests some facilities utilized filtration down to 0.2 microns. While authorities noted the treatments did not pose immediate health risks, they violated the labeling standards that allow these products to command significantly higher prices than standard tap water.

A May 2025 French Senate report suggested the company may have gained up to 3 billion euros in unfair profits over the last 15 years through these practices. Although a judicial investigation was launched in February 2025 and searches were conducted at the Vergeze facility, a court has allowed Perrier products to continue being sold under the ‘natural mineral water’ label. Nestlé Waters has denied the allegations of unfair profit.