Perrier water bottles. PHOTO: © Monticello | Dreamstime.com
A French court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit against Perrier brought by consumer group UFC-Que Choisir, which had asked for the withdrawal of all bottles of sparkling mineral water from the market, on the grounds that the brand used a misleading marketing strategy, presenting it as “natural”, writes Reuters.
The consumer group argued that the Perrier brand, owned by Nestle, could not be described as “natural” mineral water given the use of microfiltration, and that there could be a potential health risk due to the filtration, which has not yet been fully approved by the authorities.
However, the Nanterre court ruled that there was insufficient evidence of an urgent risk to consumer health or a clear breach of the law to justify such a drastic measure.
The court ruled that Perrier water can continue to be marketed as before and ordered UFC-Que Choisir to pay Nestle's legal costs.
Perrier welcomed the decision
“We welcome the court's decision to reject all of UFC-Que Choisir's claims in this case. Today's decision confirms that the food safety of Perrier natural mineral waters has always been guaranteed,” a Nestle spokesperson said.
The case was the latest development in an ongoing scandal that has hit the brand after French media reported last year that Perrier and many other mineral water producers were illegally treating water to prevent contamination.
An inquiry commissioned by the French Senate found in May that the French government concealed for years the fact that the water was being treated.
Nestle said it regrets the use of water treatment and has stopped using this method, switching instead to microfiltration, which the company says is safe and does not alter the mineral composition of the water.
UFC-Que Choisir argued that microfiltration is another type of treatment that has not been approved by the authorities and, given its use to remove contaminants, suggested that there could be a potential health risk.
The new filtration system is awaiting approval from local authorities
Famous for its teardrop-shaped green bottles, Perrier has been produced from spring water in the south of France since the late 19th century and marketed worldwide. Nestle's Waters division has owned the brand since 1992.
In July, Nestle withdrew the 0.2 micron microfiltration from its Vergeze plant at the request of local authorities and replaced it with a 0.45 micron device, which it already uses for Vittel water and has discussed with the authorities.
The new filtration system is part of a larger file awaiting the approval of the local authorities for the continuation of mineral water production at Vergeze.
Revenue at Nestle Waters and Premium Beverages reached 2.4 billion Swiss francs ($3 billion) in the first nine months of the year, accounting for less than 4 percent of group revenue.
The group is exploring options to sell the division, Reuters previously reported, as the Swiss food giant wants to focus on bigger brands.
Perrier water bottles. PHOTO: © Monticello | Dreamstime.com
