French government covered up Nestle's illegal bottled water treatments

In a startling revelation, a French Senate inquiry commission has reported that the government, led by President Emmanuel Macron, actively covered up illegal practices employed by Nestle in their processing of bottled water, particularly that of the famous Perrier brand. The inquiry emphasized the use of unauthorized treatments that were aimed at preventing bacterial or chemical contamination in water marketed as 'natural mineral water' or 'spring water.' These practices are expressly prohibited under both French and European regulations, raising serious questions about food safety and regulatory oversight. The report, released recently, indicates that the government was aware of these misdeeds since at least 2022 yet chose to remain silent about them. Notably, the inquiry traced a 'deliberate strategy' of concealment beginning in October 2021, during the government’s initial discussions on the issue. Furthermore, the commission discovered that in response to pressure from Nestle about possible job losses if they were not allowed to use certain treatments, the government had agreed to a plan proposed by Nestle to replace these prohibited practices with microfiltration. The inquiry reported that Nestle acknowledged its illegal treatments after being fined €2 million ($2.2 million) last year in order to avoid legal repercussions. However, the commission gathered extensive testimonies from over 120 individuals, including top officials from Nestle, revealing a complicated web of governmental collusion and inadequate transparency regarding the company's actions. The former secretary general of the Elysee presidential palace, Alexis Kohler, was noted as having refused to cooperate with the inquiry, although the report highlighted that he had maintained multiple communications with Nestle executives. This intense scrutiny has led to findings indicating that the government and Nestle exhibited an alarming level of non-transparency and lacked accountability concerning these illicit activities. While Alexandre Ouizille, the rapporteur of the commission, detailed how the illegal practices amounted to an estimated fraud exceeding €3 billion ($3.38 billion), there were no proven health repercussions reported from the affected natural mineral waters. He criticized the misleading nature of Nestle's marketing of its products, which are sold at astronomical prices, approximately 100 to 400 times more than tap water. In light of these findings, Laurent Burgoa, the commission's president, reflected on his previous consumption of Perrier, emphasizing a troubling lack of consumer knowledge regarding what they were actually drinking. This scandal shines a light on the potentially grave implications of governmental negligence and corporate malfeasance in the food and beverage sector.