The Perrier/Nestlé scandal in France is making headlines around the globe. Here some quotes from an article in the US:
Nestlé and French Government Accused of Cover-Up in Perrier Water Scandal.
In February, the Nestlé conglomerate’s chief executive, Laurent Freixe, suggested in an interview with the Swiss news media that the concept of natural mineral water was becoming increasingly unrealistic, and that regulations needed to adapt.
“This romantic idea that you can take pure water from the source, bottle it without any intervention and ensure food safety is just that: romantic,” he said. “It doesn’t stand up to the reality of human activity.”
Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and co-founder of the Pacific Institute, an Oakland, Calif., research institute focused on water issues, agreed that it was becoming harder to source water free from human contaminants. But he also noted that companies such as Nestlé have made billions promoting that same romantic idea:
“This is part of a longer trend of growing threats to groundwater. It’s becoming harder and harder to find waters safe from contamination.”
“They want to sell spring water because it carries a premium in the public’s eye,” he said. “Now if they’re just reprocessing it the way they process tap water, it’s harder and harder for them to claim that. And as people learn that, they’ll lose money.”
