French police raided the offices of Nestlé Waters as part of a widening judicial investigation into the food giant’s alleged use of illegal filtration systems in its bottled mineral water products.
The raid on July 10 was part of a probe launched by the Paris judicial court in February. That followed claims by watchdog NGO Foodwatch, which alleged the Swiss multinational had been secretly using unauthorised microfiltration methods to hide bacterial and pesticide contamination in products branded as “natural mineral water”.
Nestlé, which bottles major brands including Perrier and Contrex, has defended its practices.
In February, the firm said microfiltration had long been an industry-standard method to ensure safety “while preserving mineral composition”.
Authorities disagreed. On July 3, Nestlé announced it would withdraw microfiltration equipment from its Vergèze Perrier production site.
The move came after a formal warning from local authorities two months prior.
Critics said the company only acted under pressure.
“It’s clear that Nestlé Waters had to be given an ultimatum, without which the multinational would no doubt have continued to sell its [alleged] fraudulent water as if nothing had happened,” said Ingrid Kragl, Director of Information at Foodwatch.
“We can’t trust Nestlé,” she added.
Nestlé maintained its innocence. “We continue to cooperate fully with the authorities as we have always done,” a spokesperson told Reuters.
Its legal troubles are mounting up, though.
On June 3, France’s consumer watchdog UFC-Que Choisir ( What to Choose?) announced it would also be filing a criminal complaint, citing the “ongoing inaction” of public authorities and raising concerns over consumer safety.
The affair has also reached the highest levels of the French State.
In May 2025, a Senate report accused government officials of covering up signs of alleged fraud by Nestlé, turning the case into a political scandal.
In response, the French Ministry of Health has ordered inspections at all water packaging plants across the country by the end of 2026.
Facilities found to be in violation may lose the right to label products as “natural mineral water”, or even face closure, it said.
French Senators have found that the French government covered up alleged fraud by Swiss food giant Nestlé. https://t.co/bZcE8DNIPE
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 22, 2025
