US EditionFrench Consumer Group Sues Nestlé and French Ministers Amid Bottled Water Scandal
- The French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir sued Nestlé and several French ministers in 2025 over a bottled water scandal involving concealment actions.
- Investigations and reports revealed that a deliberate strategy to conceal illegal treatments and state complicity led to this legal action and calls for analysis.
- Nestlé Waters admitted in January 2024 to using banned safety treatments and paid a two-million-euro fine, while authorities recommended a marketing ban since 2023.
- A Senate inquiry and investigative journalism highlighted a state cover-up, noting the involvement of former prime minister Elisabeth Borne and the presidency in allowing continued marketing.
- UFC-Que Choisir demands full scrutiny of the state's role in the scandal, reflecting ongoing concerns about transparency and public trust in regulatory oversight.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Consumer group files complaint against French ministers over Nestlé scandal
The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir announced Tuesday that it has launched several legal actions in response to what it calls the Nestlé mineral water "scandal". It accuses the company of deceiving consumers and has condemned the lack of "action" on behalf of public authorities.
On June 3, 2025, the UFC-Que Choisir launched a series of lawsuits against Nestlé Waters France and several former members of the government. The trigger? A health, environmental and regulatory scandal around the illegal treatment of several natural mineral waters. Nestlé group, at the heart of the tumult, is accused of having made up the real nature of its products for more than fifteen years. An out-of-standard procedure that propels industria…
Last month, one of the hypermarkets of a large national brand presented in one of its catalogues Vittel's mineral water as a "natural flat water." This was all but a detail at the time the Senate Commission of Inquiry into Bottled Water completed its work.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
