French officers raid Nestle's Perrier water bottling site
Overview of the Perrier Bottling Site Raid
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Details of the Raid
PARIS, May 19 (Reuters) - French officers from the anti-fraud department on Tuesday raided a Perrier water bottling site and a lab located elsewhere in the country, owned by Swiss food group Nestle.
Confirmation from Nestle
• Nestle confirmed raids were carried out on Tuesday at two of its water sites in Vergeze, where Perrier is bottled, and a lab in the Vosges mountains. "We continue to cooperate fully with the relevant authorities," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Investigation Background
• The raids were part of an investigation started after a complaint filed to the Paris prosecutor by a consumer group alleging "deceit", Radio France reported.
Official Responses
• The anti-fraud department declined to comment and the Paris prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Context and Previous Scrutiny
• Perrier has been under scrutiny for months since French media reported in 2024 that the brand and many other mineral water producers had been using water treatments to prevent contamination that made the water unfit to be still described as natural mineral water.
Legal Proceedings
• A French court in late 2025 rejected a case against Perrier brought by another consumer group.
(Reporting by Inti LandauroEditing by Bill Berkrot)
