Core Viewpoint - The court ruling allows Nestlé's Perrier brand to continue marketing itself as "natural mineral water," despite concerns from consumer advocacy groups regarding potential misleading practices [1] Group 1: Legal Proceedings - The French consumer advocacy group UFC Que Choisir filed a lawsuit claiming that the microfiltration process used by Perrier misleads consumers about the product being "natural mineral water" [1] - The court ruled that there is insufficient evidence to prove that labeling Perrier as "natural mineral water" poses a health risk to consumers [1] Group 2: Consumer Advocacy Response - Consumer organizations expressed anger over the court's decision, arguing it does not address the issue of misleading commercial practices [1] - The head of UFC Que Choisir emphasized the need for serious attention to potential health risks before consumers suffer serious health issues [1] Group 3: Market Impact - Approximately 78 million bottles of Perrier will remain on the market, continuing to carry the "natural mineral water" label [1] - Nestlé has faced previous penalties for using prohibited filtration methods in its bottled water products, including a €2 million fine for Perrier and over $610,000 for its Henniez brand [1]

Core Viewpoint - The investigation report by the French Senate reveals that Nestlé, the producer of Perrier mineral water, engaged in consumer fraud and that the French government failed to regulate and may have even colluded with the company to cover up water source contamination issues [1][2]. Group 1: Investigation Findings - The report indicates that Nestlé's French mineral water plants were found to be illegally treating water as early as 2020, with the company proposing a renovation plan to the French government in 2021 [2]. - The report highlights that European laws prohibit any treatment that could alter the characteristics of natural mineral water, yet the French government did not take action against Nestlé's illegal disinfection practices [2]. - In 2023, the French government modified regulations to allow Nestlé to use a filtration precision of 0.2 microns, which is below the legal limit of 0.8 microns for natural mineral water, enabling the company to continue profiting from the "natural mineral water" label [2]. Group 2: Regulatory Actions - The report notes that multiple French government departments agreed in 2023 to modify a health quality report for the Perrier water source, removing contamination results and replacing them with positive descriptions of the company's practices [2].