French authorities search Nestlé Waters office following a complaint by foodwatch
- Transparency and food safety
consumer organization urges full accountability
French authorities have searched the headquarters of Nestlé Waters in Issy-les-Moulineaux as part of a judicial investigation into illegal filtration practices. The search followed a complaint filed by foodwatch in September 2024. The international consumer organization demanded full accountability.
“The search at Nestlé shows that our allegations are being taken seriously. Nestlé Waters has been selling illegally filtered bottled water while presenting it as ‘natural’ – in France and across global markets. This is not a minor infraction, but a deliberate fraud. We expect the French judiciary to establish the truth and ensure accountability. If global corporations can get away with deceiving consumers, that undermines the foundations of food safety regulation,” said Ingrid Kragl from foodwatch France.
In 2024, foodwatch had rejected a so-called “Public Interest Judicial Agreement” (CJIP) proposed by a court in Épinal, which would have allowed Nestlé to avoid criminal charges by paying a settlement. Instead, the organisation re-filed its complaint as a civil party with the Paris judicial court in September 2024 – aiming to break the culture of impunity and demanding a full trial.
According to Radio France, the two investigating judges ordered the search to gather further evidence. Investigators have reportedly seized large volumes of data that will now be analysed as part of the criminal proceedings. The search was carried out on Wednesday by the DGCCRF’s National Investigation Service (SNE) and the environmental and public health unit OCLAESP.
The case is not limited to France: In June 2025, a court in Switzerland convicted Nestlé Waters for using banned filtration techniques in its Henniez water brand. And in Germany this week, Alma, the second company currently on trial in France in the water scandal, had to recall several types of mineral water – also due to bacterial contamination.