Foodstuffs Nestlé fined in the canton of Vaud - Henniez illegally filtered
Nestlé has been fined 500,000 Swiss francs in the canton of Vaud for the unauthorized use of activated carbon filters in the production of mineral water. The filters were used in the production of Henniez water from 2008 to 2022.
25.06.2025, 11:53
SDA
This was announced by the Vaud public prosecutor's office on Wednesday. The use of activated carbon filters meant that Henniez should not have been sold as mineral water, it added.
The violation was discovered in May 2020 during an inspection by the Food Safety and Consumer Protection (OFCO) of the canton of Vaud. As Nestlé Waters was unsuccessful in its application for an exemption, the filters had to be removed by the end of 2022, which was then done.
According to the information provided, the OFCO authority filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office in April 2024, as Nestlé Waters had violated the provisions of Article 29 of the Federal Act on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LGA). The inspectors had been misled about the use of the activated carbon filter. They also found that consumers had been deceived by the unauthorized use of the title mineral water.
The public prosecutor responsible, Eric Kaltenrieder, came to the conclusion that consumers had been deceived by the use of the term mineral water. This had given Nestlé an economic advantage, which should be compensated with the compensation claim.
However, the fine also takes into account the fact that the filtration was not harmful to consumers. In addition, Nestlé Waters had cooperated extensively with the authorities.
