French consumer group sues Nestlé and French ministers amid bottled water scandal

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00:00A scandal against which the state has failed to act.

00:04This is what has pushed France's main consumer group to take Nestlé to court.

00:10In a statement released this Tuesday, UFC Que Choisir condemned lawmakers for not taking

00:15any measures against the food and drinks giant in order to protect consumers.

00:19A report commissioned after a whistleblower alerted France's economy ministry concluded

00:24that water brands belonging to the Nestlé group, such as Perrier, have been using unlawful

00:29methods to purify their spring water.

00:32As such, advertising Perrier as, quote, natural mineral water wouldn't just be misleading,

00:38but also false.

00:41We know that the French government has been aware of the matter since 2022.

00:45We know the president's secretary general met several times and had phone conversations

00:49with representatives of the Nestlé group.

00:52It was a lobbying group who told us, yes, Nestlé's lobbyist, we're not making this up.

00:58Well, I won't do it.

00:59These methods include the use of UV rays, iron sulfate and a filtration system that doesn't

01:05meet the required criteria.

01:07According to the consumer group, Nestlé isn't the only group to have used such methods, as

01:11at least 30% of French brands are said to have used them, some for up to 20 years.

01:18The heads of Nestlé have stressed that the methods aren't a hazard for consumers and that

01:22climate change and urbanisation are affecting sources from which they bottle water.

01:27are also very careful.

01:32And thank you.

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