According to information from World and of Radio Francethe situation at the Perrier du Gard factory is due to disinfection procedures necessary after the discovery of bacteria of fecal origin in one of the boreholes. Nestlé Waters, the parent company of the sparkling water brand, has nevertheless confirmed that it will continue the production and marketing of its 1 liter green Perrier bottles, despite the reported disruptions.
The marketing of one-liter bottles of Perrier continues
In a statement, Nestlé Waters said: “ The production of Perrier 1 liter is not stopped » And “yes the 1 l green Perrier bottles produced are marketed “. However, sources internal and external to the company confirm that the production of one-liter plastic bottles has been suspended for the summerwithout completely stopping the production or marketing of this format.
Nestlé had to stop drilling in April, following a request from the state, and destroy at least 2 million bottles after the discovery of bacteria of fecal origin. The operation of two other wells was suspended for disinfection, which reduced the volumes of mineral water needed to produce the plastic one-liter green Perrier bottles. This suspension aims to guarantee a better capacity to serve products at the end of maintenance operations and after stock replenishment.
New episode in a series of difficulties
The Vergèze factory is at the heart of this complex situation. The factory unions, contacted by AFP, preferred not to comment, but activated their right to alert in the face of this worrying situation for the future of the site. The Occitanie regional health agency and the departmental population protection directorate inspected the plant, its boreholes and its water quality self-monitoring laboratory. The results of this inspection have not yet been published.
The NGO Foodwatch criticized the silence of the authorities, deeming this attitude “ unacceptable » and wondering about the potential consequences of the suspension for disinfection. This consumer defense organization wonders if this situation will result in a “ recall of waters that do not comply with regulations ».
This suspension of production is part of a series of setbacks for Perrier. Earlier this year, Nestlé admitted to using banned treatments on mineral water, such as UV lamp disinfection and activated carbon filtration, to ensure safe consumption. In addition to Perrier, Nestlé also owns the Vittel, Contrex and Hépar brands in France.
