French consumer group seeks Perrier water sales ban

AN INFLUENTIAL consumer rights association yesterday urged a court to ban the sale of Perrier bottled water in France, saying the brand’s claim that its product is “natural” was misleading.

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UFC-Que Choisir, which lodged its request with a court in Nanterre near Paris, said the Nestle-owned Perrier brand should be banned temporarily from selling its sparkling water and be ordered to stop its “dishonest” description of the water.

“Consumers buy water that is sold as natural mineral water but it isn’t natural because it has been treated,” the association's lawyer Alexis Macchetto said.

In early 2024, media reported that Nestle Waters which also owns the Vittel and Contrex brands had deployed banned processes to improve its quality, including ultraviolet treatment and activated carbon filters.