WEBVTT


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So Nestle sold water contaminated with fecal bacteria and pesticides

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and marketed it as natural mineral water

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under brands like Perrier and Vittel.

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And they sold this water in 150 countries for 15 years,

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totaling over $3 billion in fraud.

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And this guy tried to cover it up.

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European law is crystal clear.

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Natural mineral water has to be pure at the source.

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That means no filtering, no treatment,

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nothing. And it's supposed to come straight from underground springs

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and be so clean that you can drink it.

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But Nestle's water was not clean.

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Tests found E. Coli,

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which is fecal bacteria, as well as banned pesticides linked to cancer

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and these forever chemicals known as PFAS at their Perrier,

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Vittel contracts and APAR plants.

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So what did Nestle do? Well,

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they installed illegal filtration systems,

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that's UV lights, activated carbon filters

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and micro filtration to clean the contaminated water,

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which would be a good thing,

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but they sold it as natural so customers would still pay a premium.

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Well, eventually,

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Nestle routed themselves out

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and told the French government that they've been breaking the law.

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And the Director General of health,

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that's Jeremy Salomon, reviewed the evidence and sent a memo

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recommending that they immediately suspend authorization

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for all Nestle water sites,

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even confirming viralogical risks,

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meaning you could get hepatitis a,

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norovirus or adenovirus in the water.

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Now, one hour after receiving the memo,

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the government held a secret meeting

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and overruled their own health director

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giving Nestle permission. To keep using the illegal filters.

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Now, Salomon later called it a kind of blackmail

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because Nestle refused to provide water sampling locations

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until the government approved their illegal methods.

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And in April 2024,

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Nestle had to destroy over 2 million bottles of Perrier

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after heavy rains revealed fecal contamination.

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So CEO

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Mark Schneider

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was earning nearly $14 million a year selling poo water

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and the French government let him do it.

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Nestle ended up paying roughly $2.5 million to settle fraud charges

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for this natural mineral water,

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which is only 0.0067% of the $3 billion they made

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selling fake mineral water for 15 years.

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And consumer group Food Watch called it ideal to bury the case.

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And Nestle still makes over $4 billion a year from its water division

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selling Perrier, Vittel and San Pellegrino in 150 countries worldwide.

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So until we demand that regulators serve citizens

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instead of mega corporations,

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two and a half million dollars is a slap on the wrist

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and it'll simply be the cost of doing business.

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And they will keep poisoning us with contaminated water

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at a premium price unless we say something.

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Look, I'm a gut specialist,

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but I tell you these stories to remind you that the system

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does not care about you,

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that you need to be informed so you know who you can and cannot trust.

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Make sure to follow for more stories that the system

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doesn't want you to hear.