Futures and Commodity Market News

Dec 19, 2025 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --

Bonneval Emergence has asked for ae1.6bn in damages to cover the alleged economic disadvantage it has experienced.

NestlA(C)'s water business has been sued by a local French competitor, Bonneval Emergence for alleged "unfair competition".

Local publication Le Monde on Wednesday (17 December) reported it had learned Bonneval Emergence had filed a suit against the Perrier water maker with the economic activities in Nanterre.

The group has also asked the court to pause sales of NestlA(C)'s bottled water brands, including Vittel, Contrex and Perrier, and to recall bottles, with a ae1m ($1.2m) penalty for each day of delay.

It has asked for ae1.6bn in damages to cover the alleged economic disadvantage it has experienced due to the "unlawful" existence of those NestlA(C) products in France and other markets.

The group has also argued NestlA(C)'s water products have benefited "unduly" from being able to use the "natural mineral waters" term for its products.

Bonneval Emergence, which does business under the name Bonneval Waters, declined to comment on the issue but confirmed to Just Drinks it had filed the lawsuit, as well as the accuracy of the Le Monde report.

The group's portfolio is made up of packaged mineral water products, including its namesake brand, as well as Roche Claire and JosA(C)phine.

Responding to the filing of the suit, a spokesperson for NestlA(C)'s waters business in France said: aEURoeNestlA(C) Waters takes note of this summons, filed on grounds that we believe are wholly unfounded. We will vigorously defend our position.

"In view of the ongoing procedure, we will not comment further, however we would like to reiterate that the food safety of our natural mineral waters is and has always been guaranteed, as has been confirmed many times by the authorities.aEUR

Earlier this month, batches of Perrier bottled mineral waters were blocked from the market by local authorities in France following a bacterial analysis of one of NestlA(C)aEUR(TM)s wells in VergAze.

An investigative report fromARadio FranceAshared byAFranceinfo then suggested two of the groupaEUR(TM)s mineral water wells had been shut for a five-day period at the end of November after new bacterial contamination was found at its VergAze site in the Gard department.

When questioned on the topic byAJust Drinks, NestlA(C)aEUR(TM)s water business said: aEURoeAs is normal in these situations, some pallets were blocked at our site.

aEURoeThese will remain at our site until further notice from the relevant authorityaEUR.

In mid-November, a French courtAruledANestlA(C) could continue to market its Perrier water products in France using the term aEURoenatural mineral wateraEUR.

The Nanterre judicial court rejected a request from French consumer rights group UFC Que-Choisir to remove Perrier water products from the market.

NestlA(C) and its water business have faced scrutiny over the past 18 months after admitting toAbreaking French lawsAin how it treated bottled mineral water against contamination.

In May, French authorities ordered the group to remove system filters from its VergAze and Vosges sites in France, which makes bottled water brands such as Perrier and Contrex.

Two months on, in a separate investigation, the headquarters of NestlA(C)aEUR(TM)s operations of France wereAraided by local authorities. The investigation was a result of a complaint from consumer rights group Foodwatch, the French governmentaEUR(TM)s General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) then said.

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COMTEX_471244789/2227/2025-12-19T13:38:04


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