A Crisis in France -- Bottled water may not be what it's advertised to be

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The discussion centers on the scrutiny faced by France's mineral water industry, particularly the Perrier brand, due to environmental concerns and the legitimacy of labeling products as "natural mineral water." The industry is under investigation for using illicit filtration systems to address water contamination issues exacerbated by climate change. Participants express skepticism about the marketing of bottled water, emphasizing that tap water in France is generally safe and questioning the high prices associated with bottled brands. The conversation also touches on broader ethical issues related to companies like Nestlé, highlighting a range of controversies including labor practices and environmental impacts.

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In a BBC article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyvn3qe0jpgo

France's multi-billion euro mineral water companies are under the spotlight because of climate change and growing concerns about the industry's environmental impact.
At issue is whether some world-famous brands, notably the iconic Perrier label, can even continue calling themselves "natural mineral water".
A decision in the Perrier case is due in the coming months. It follows revelations in the French media about illicit filtration systems that have been widely used in the industry, apparently because of worries about water contamination, after years of drought linked to climate change.
 
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My issue with the whole mineral water industry is not that they filter or disinfect water. It is the whole artificial mystery around 'mineral water' what allows the selling of drinking water at thousandfold price, with quite the associated environmental footprint.

As far as I know, tap water in France is generally safe to drink and is good quality.
 
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It’s the way of industrialization: materials cost peanuts compared to expertise to design, build, test and market the product.
 
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Sorry to laugh, but this strikes me as a very first world problem.
It also reminds me of when Nestle tried to get water rights in a tiny town in my state as a source of "well water".
In order to get my facts straight, I Googled and found the wiki article titled; "Controversies of Nestlé".
Wow....

  • forced labour
  • modern slavery
  • child labour
  • incidents of contaminated and infested food products
  • preventing access to non-bottled water in impoverished countries
  • issues around animal welfare commitments
  • actively spreading disinformation about recycling
  • illegal water-pumping from drought-stricken Native American reservations
  • price fixing
  • extensive union-busting activity
  • deforestation
  • lobbying to support misinformation about infant and women's nutrition.

A veritable laundry list of crimes by BIG CHOCOLATE!
 
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As a friend of mine said, "you spend 10% of your time brewing the best beer you can and 90% on telling people how good it is."
 
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Hornbein said:
As a friend of mine said, "you spend 10% of your time brewing the best beer you can and 90% on telling people how good it is."
Or, you make rubbish beer, and tell people it's the best.