Mineral waters filled with pollutants and bacteria? According to an expertise carried out on behalf of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSES) by the Nancy hydrology laboratory, the content of which was revealed this Thursday by The world and Franceinfo, the health quality of the natural mineral water sources of the Nestlé group (Perrier, Contrex, Vittel, Hépar, etc.) cannot be “guaranteed”.
In other words, according to these experts, the “level of confidence” is “insufficient” to “guarantee the health quality of finished products”, in this case the waters of the Swiss multinational. According to The world and Franceinfo, they would carry regular microbiological contamination (coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, enterococci). And this despite the regulations in this area being very strict: no bacteria in the water, whether before or after bottling. The world and Franceinfo cite in particular the example of the Vergèze site, in Gard, where the Perrier brand is produced. The raw water would thus be contaminated “on at least five of the seven boreholes”.
“Notable chronic presence of micropollutants”
And that’s not all. Still according to ANSES, these waters concentrate Pfas, better known as eternal pollutants. MPs are also considering, this Thursday, a bill aimed at restricting the manufacture and sale of products containing it.
Finally, the presence of pesticides, but also “contaminations of fecal origin” and “the notable chronic presence of micropollutants” are singled out by the experts who therefore recommend a strengthening of the multinational’s factories. And to also denounce “the absence of parameters allowing the monitoring of viral contamination of water”. So many shortcomings which, according to ANSES, “should not lead to the production of bottled water”.
Nestlé already accused last January
Last January, according to revelations from Radio France, Nestlé had already found itself in the eye of the storm for having used illicit treatments to purify its natural mineral waters. A practice contrary to the regulations according to which these waters must be naturally healthy. According to Franceinfo, the multinational had even hidden filters to deceive the vigilance of control agents. Nestlé defended itself by indicating that “changes in the environment around [nos] sources can sometimes make it difficult to maintain the stability of the essential characteristics” of these waters, the “health safety” of which had to be preserved. Regarding this Thursday’s revelations, the Swiss group has not yet expressed itself .