France: Judicial investigation into contaminated bottled water

In July 2025, French authorities carried out a search at the headquarters of Nestlé Waters near Paris. The national criminal investigation department (SNE) and the Central Office for the Prevention of Environmental and Public Health Damage (OCLAESP) are investigating fraud with mineral water of the Perrier brand. The water in the bottles is suspected of having been illegally filtered, with health risks being concealed.

The investigation followed a complaint filed by the NGO Foodwatch against Nestlé. The French branch of Foodwatch.org filed charges against the food giant. Nestlé and Nestlé Waters are suspected of illegally treating mineral water in order to mask contamination with bacteria and pesticides. In April this year, pathogenic bacteria were found in bottles of Perrier from the factory in Vergèze. Nestlé did not report this to the health authorities, even though this is required by law. Production has now been halted, and hundreds of thousands of bottles are likely to be destroyed. In April 2024, three million Perrier bottles had already been destroyed after contamination with the fecal bacterium E. coli.

Ilegal mircofiltration

According to French investigative journalists from Le Monde and Radio France Info, Nestlé received permission from the authorities to apply microfiltration. Such processing is prohibited under EU law for natural mineral water, but was tolerated by the French authorities. The French government did not inform the European Commission or other member states, even though the water was sold throughout Europe.

The water that Perrier pumps up from springs was often contaminated in the past, among other things with pesticides and with fecal bacteria. The company therefore subjected the water to cleaning procedures using microfiltration. But water that is sold as ‘natural mineral water’ must be pure and unfiltered. The campaign group Foodwatch says that millions of bottles worldwide were sold under false pretenses as natural spring water. Moreover, the filters do not provide 100 percent safety, and some bacteria might still end up in the bottle.

Political permission

In January 2024, several French media outlets reported for the first time that fraud had taken place with the quality of natural spring water. It concerned well-known brands such as Perrier, Vittel, and Cristalline. In May of this year, a Senate inquiry committee issued a report revealing that Nestlé had already informed the government back in August 2021 that it was using filtration techniques. Nevertheless, the authorities took no legal action against the company. According to the Senate investigators, Nestlé was even granted permission at the highest political level to continue illegally filtering water.

International impact

Nestlé operates worldwide with water brands such as Perrier, Vittel, and Contrex. The outcome of the investigation could therefore have international consequences for the company and for the regulation of the mineral water industry. The raid marks a new phase in the investigation into the practices of Nestlé Waters. It is not yet clear when the results of the investigation will be made public.

Inspection of French water factories

The French Ministry of Health has ordered an inspection of all water bottling plants in France before the end of 2026, with the possibility that, if necessary, the label ‘natural mineral water’ will be banned or even factories will be shut down. The threat is particularly great around the Vergèze site in the Gard, a historic Perrier factory.

Research into microplastics

In the past the World Health Organization (WHO) called for more research into microplastics in bottles of drinking water. According to the UN-organisation warns there is a lack of reliable studies and research into the health risks of mircoplastics.