PARIS - Nestle said on April 5 that it has stepped up monitoring after warnings by French regulators about the quality of its bottled mineral water brands including Perrier and Vittel.

The move follows revelations earlier this week that France’s food safety watchdog had recommended stricter monitoring of sites where Nestle extracts mineral water after traces of “faecal” contamination were found.

The recommendation, made to the health ministry last year, comes on top of an investigation by prosecutors into allegations that Nestle used illegal treatment to purify its mineral waters.

“We have stepped up monitoring of extraction sites under the control of regulators,” Nestle France President Muriel Lienau told AFP in an interview.

“Every bottle that leaves our facilities can be drunk by consumers in complete safety,” she added.

Nestle is a major player in the international bottled water market with brands including Perrier, Vittel and Contrex.

Regulations on quality for natural mineral waters are stricter than for tap water in France and purification is not allowed.

Lienau said more than 1,500 quality measurements are not taken every day at its mineral water facilities, and that the reports of traces of faecal matter may have come from wells that are no longer in use.

The Foodwatch consumer pressure group earlier this week called for a recall of the affected brands. AFP