About 30% of Total Sales Involved
Government Faces Allegations of Turning a Blind Eye to Illegal Purification Practices
The French bottled water brand "Evian," which emphasizes bottling Alpine spring water. Nestle Waters
Evian, a leading French natural mineral water brand beloved worldwide, has suffered a blow to its image. The brand, which has long promoted the direct bottling of fresh Alpine spring water, has been found to have sold water that underwent illegal purification processes for several years.
According to a KBS report on August 24, it was revealed that France's Evian had engaged in illegal purification treatment for years. This was uncovered through a joint investigative report by the prominent French newspaper Le Monde and the radio station France Info one year ago, which found that approximately 30% of the total sales volume had gone through illegal purification processes.
In France, under European Union (EU) guidelines, products labeled as "natural mineral water" must be bottled without any artificial treatment. In contrast, regular bottled water is allowed certain purification processes, such as chlorination or filtration. However, Evian, despite being labeled as "natural mineral water," secretly used ultraviolet sterilization and activated carbon filters, just like regular bottled water.
Did the French government know and cover it up... Refusal to disclose information
There are now suspicions that the French government may have condoned these actions. Although a report on the illegal purification practices had already been prepared, the government did not disclose it, accepting requests from the companies involved.
According to a French Senate report released in May, the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Finance had already identified illegal purification practices by bottled water companies in September 2021. Nevertheless, the government did not make this information public, accepting the companies' requests, and instead sought ways to relax relevant regulations, considering the potential impact on the supply chain.
It was also revealed that companies, including Nestle Waters, attempted to conceal these illegal practices by paying fines of about 2 million euros (approximately 3.244 billion won). Alexandre Ouizille, the senator in charge of the investigation, described the case as a "collusion between companies and the government that is inexplicable, unacceptable, and incomprehensible."
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