Treatments can be authorized – by prefectural decree in France – either to remove “unstable elements” such as iron, manganese, arsenic and sulfur, in particular thanks to filtration, or to retain “unwanted constituents”. At the beginning of 2024, the Nestlé group had publicly recognized that it had used prohibited treatments (ultraviolet and active coal) in the past), then replaced them with a microfiltration system “Cartridge at 0.2 micron”, necessary to “ensure food security” of products.
The name “natural mineral water” in question
It is therefore this microfiltration system that Nestlé will have to delete on his Vergèze site, faced with the formal notice of the authorities. Concerning the possibility for Nestlé to continue to exploit its five boreholes in Vergèze from which it draws its natural mineral water Perrier, hydrogeologists solicited by the Gard prefecture have already rendered a negative opinion, had revealed on April 9 before a senatorial commission the director general of Nestlé, Laurent Freixe.
Faced with the difficulty for him to produce water in Vergèze respecting the standards required for natural mineral waters, the Nestlé group had already reallocated two drilling on this site, in 2022, to produce its new brand “Maison Perrier”, a drink sold without this name “natural mineral water”.
The association of consumer Foodwatch estimated on Wednesday in a press release that “this decision goes in the right direction”, hoping that the judicial information started in parallel with these requests for administrative authorizations will allow for its part to “shed light on the actions committed by the multinational and its officials”.
The company will comply
Nestlé Waters France announced its desire to comply with the request of the prefect of Gard, which put it in notice Wednesday to remove within two months its system of microfiltration of mineral water Perrier in Vergèze, in the south of France.
“A technical solution will be sought for the Vergèze site” which, “if it is accepted, could allow the prefect to consider authorizing the continuation of the exploitation of natural mineral water source perrier in Vergèze”, adds the company, a subsidiary of the Swiss giant, in a press release. “We will focus on conforming to the requests of the authorities,” said Muriel Lenau, president of Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, “hoping to find solutions adapted to the specificities of each of our sites”, Perrier but also Contrex and Hépar in the Vosges also the subject of a prefectural formal notice.
“Nestlé Waters is determined to seek solutions after the request of the Gard prefects and the withdrawal Vosges, within two months, from microfiltration to 0.2 microns,” said the press release. According to the company, a technical solution is already “identified for the Vosges site (Brands Contrex and Hépar – Vittel is not concerned by this type of microfiltration) and must be validated by the authorities”.
