Mineral water controls deemed insufficient

In France, bottled water is not sufficiently controlled. A severe conclusion from the European Commission in an audit. Failures of the authorities, lack of transparency with consumers, there are serious gaps in the inspection of our mineral waters. “This report highlights the opacity orchestrated by companies and control authorities, as well as impunity for multinationals”says Ingrid Krag, director of information at Foodwatch. Since the beginning of the year, scandals have been coming thick and fast. Between Perrier drilling contaminated with faecal bacteria and industrialists using illegal treatment methods, such as ultraviolet light.

Nestlé pleads good faith but acknowledges its wrongdoing: “These treatments have always been aimed at ensuring food safety. They have led the company to lose sight of the issue of regulatory compliance.”. The quality of mineral water is not guaranteed, however. According to the European Commission, inspections by the authorities are incomplete and are not carried out regularly. The Ministry of Health often points out that tap water is extremely controlled. It is also a hundred times cheaper than bottled water and does not generate plastic waste.