The French authorities have tightened their oversight of Nestlé’s Perrier operations, allowing the company to continue producing Perrier as “natural mineral water” from only two wells at its Vergèze site in southern France. This decision comes with new scientific, monitoring, and quality conditions, including a 12-month deadline for a study on the impact of filtration on the water’s microbiome and a two-year period of enhanced safety checks. The move is part of a wider French scrutiny of bottled mineral water practices, following investigations and public reporting that raised questions about previously used treatment methods.
The decision narrows Perrier’s production footprint and locks the brand into a more constrained supply configuration. Nestlé must deliver an additional study on the filtration approach and carry out enhanced safety checks for two years, after which authorities will review water quality again. The EU rules allow only limited interventions, such as separating unstable elements by filtration or decanting, provided the water’s essential constituents are not altered.
The controversy surrounding Perrier’s filtration method centers on whether it functions as de facto disinfection, which would conflict with EU rules governing natural mineral water. French reporting has described authorities previously objecting to a 0.2 micron filtration configuration, with questions over whether it crosses the line from permissible filtration into prohibited treatment.
For Nestlé, the immediate gain is continuity, but under stricter conditions, fewer wells, and a defined period of intensified scrutiny. For consumers, the story is less about an overnight change in what is on shelves and more about regulatory confidence and labeling integrity. The “natural mineral water” designation is a premium label, and if authorities later conclude that the filtration method materially alters the water or that the underlying sources cannot consistently meet purity requirements without prohibited steps, the consequences could include further restrictions, a loss of designation, or shifts into differently labeled product lines.
Key takeaways from the decision include:
* Perrier can continue producing natural mineral water from two wells at the Vergèze site, but under new conditions.
* Nestlé must deliver an additional study on the filtration approach and carry out enhanced safety checks for two years.
* The decision reflects a compliance and labeling issue, combined with a desire for stronger long-term confidence in production processes.
* The authorization is conditional, and future decisions will depend on the results of studies, monitoring, and legal proceedings related to labeling and treatment methods.
Overall, the decision represents conditional continuity rather than closure, with Perrier able to continue operating under tighter rules, fewer water sources, and closer scientific scrutiny. For regulators, it reinforces that “natural mineral water” is a legally protected category, and for consumers and the industry, it signals that filtration practices and microbiological evidence will remain at the center of enforcement going forward.