Perrier
French mineral water brand
title: "Perrier" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nestlé-brands", "awards-established-in-1998", "mineral-water", "bottled-water-brands", "carbonated-water", "french-drinks", "french-brands", "soft-drinks", "jazz-awards", "awards-disestablished-in-2001", "1898-establishments-in-france", "youth-music-competitions"] description: "French mineral water brand" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrier" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary French mineral water brand ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox bottled water"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| brand | Perrier |
| logo | Perrier logo.svg |
| image | File:Perrier (1562070194).jpg |
| image_caption | A 330 ml bottle of Perrier |
| producer | Nestlé Waters |
| country | France |
| source | Vergèze, Gard, France |
| type | Sparkling |
| ph | 5.5{{cite web |
| url | https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/274501973 |
| title | Perrier Sparkling 75Cl |
| archive-url | https://archive.today/20210514184611/https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/274501973 |
| archive-date | 2021-05-14 |
| access-date | 2021-05-14 |
| work | www.tesco.com |
| url-status | live |
| ca | 150–160 |
| cl | 19.5–22 |
| c2 | 420–430 |
| mg | 3.9–4.2 |
| ni | 7.3–7.8 |
| k | |
| na | 9.6–9.5 |
| s | 25.3–33 |
| tds | 456–480 |
| introduced | |
| website | |
| :: |
| brand = Perrier | logo = Perrier logo.svg | image = File:Perrier (1562070194).jpg | image_caption = A 330 ml bottle of Perrier | producer = Nestlé Waters | country = France | source = Vergèze, Gard, France | type = Sparkling | ph = 5.5{{cite web |url=https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/274501973 |title=Perrier Sparkling 75Cl |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210514184611/https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/274501973 |archive-date=2021-05-14 |access-date=2021-05-14 |work=www.tesco.com |url-status=live | ca = 150–160 | cl = 19.5–22 | c2 = 420–430 | mg = 3.9–4.2 | ni = 7.3–7.8 | k = | na = 9.6–9.5 | s = 25.3–33 | tds = 456–480 | introduced = | website =
Perrier ( , also ; ) is a French brand of bottled water marketed as coming from its source in Vergèze, located in the Gard department. Perrier was part of the Perrier Vittel Group SA, which became Nestlé Waters France after the acquisition of the company by Nestlé in 1992.
Overview
The spring from which Perrier water is sourced is naturally carbonated, but the water and natural carbon dioxide gas are obtained independently. The water is then purified, and during bottling, the carbon dioxide gas is re-added so that the level of carbonation in bottled Perrier matches that of the Vergèze spring.
In 1990, Perrier removed the "naturally sparkling" claim from its bottles under pressure from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Since at least 2019, Perrier water is no longer "reinforced with gas from the source" but "with the addition of carbon dioxide". According to the company, this change allows it to considerably reduce its total water consumption and reduce its ecological impact.
In 2024, it was revealed by Radio France and Le Monde that Perrier water, as well as a third of French mineral water brands, were no longer meeting the standards for mineral water due to prohibited purification techniques.
History
The spring in Southern France from which Perrier is drawn was originally known as Les Bouillens (The Bubbles). It had been used as a spa since Roman times. According to the company, Hannibal and his army, having passed through Spain en route to his intended conquest of Rome during 218 BC, decided to rest for a while at Les Bouillens, from which the men took water for refreshment.{{cite web |url = http://www.perrier.com/fr/decouvrirperrier.html |publisher = www.perrier.com |title = Perrier. Une histoire unique |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150429014125/http://www.perrier.com/fr/decouvrirperrier.html#unehistoireunique |archive-date = 2015-04-29 |access-date = 2021-05-14 |url-status = dead
Perrier was first introduced to Britain in 1863.{{cite web |url = https://www.perrier.com/uk/since-1863/history/perrier-says-bonjour-britain |publisher = www.perrier.com |title = Perrier says, Bonjour Britain |archive-url = https://archive.today/20210514163713/https://www.perrier.com/uk/since-1863/history/perrier-says-bonjour-britain |archive-date = 2021-05-14 |access-date = 2021-05-14 |url-status = dead |url = http://www.perrier.com/EN/entrezbulle/rubrique10.asp |publisher = Nestlé Waters |title = Discover the perrier story |access-date = 2008-08-18 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020311155704/http://www.perrier.com/EN/EntrezBulle/rubrique10.asp |archive-date = 2002-03-11 | url = https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/11/29/8192716/index.htm | title = Troubled waters at perrier | publisher = cnn.com Fortune | access-date = 2006-07-28 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119094849/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/11/29/8192716/index.htm | archive-date = 2013-01-19 | author = Tomlinson, Richard | date = 2004-11-29 | url-status = live ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Perrier_advertisement_in_Life_(magazine)_on_February_24,_1910.jpg" caption="Life]]'' on February 24, 1910"] ::
Harmsworth marketed the product in Britain at a time when Frenchness was seen as chic and aspirational to the middle classes. It was advertised as the Champagne of mineral water. Advertising in newspapers like the Daily Mail established the brand. For a time, 95% of sales were in Britain and the US.
Perrier's reputation for purity suffered a blow in 1990 when a laboratory in North Carolina in the United States found benzene, a carcinogen, in several bottles. Perrier stated that it was an isolated incident of a worker having made a mistake in filtering and that the spring itself was unpolluted. The incident ultimately led to the worldwide withdrawal of the product, with around 160 million bottles of Perrier being recalled.
Two years later in 1992, Perrier was bought by Nestlé, one of the world's leading food and drink companies.{{cite web |url=http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=237 |title=Perrier and Nestlé Brands | Food and Beverage Industry | Crisis Management in Branding |publisher=brandchannel.com |access-date=2012-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606170250/http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=237 |archive-date=2012-06-06 }} Nestlé had to contend with competition from the Agnelli family for ownership of the business.
In 2004, a crisis erupted when Nestlé announced a restructuring plan for Perrier. The following year, Perrier was ordered to halt restructuring due to a failure to consult adequately with staff.
In April 2024, following reports that products had been contaminated with germs of possible faecal origin, an estimated 2.9 million bottles of Perrier water were destroyed before reaching the market. This was followed by an announcement in June that year that one-litre bottles of Perrier Vert would be pulled from the French market after a majority of wells used to capture the water at the Vergèze manufacturing site had their use terminated, suspended or diverted to other product lines, following a product safety inspection at the manufacturing site on 30 May conducted by government agencies.
Bottling
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Perrier_can_.jpg" caption="url-status=live}} to determine which material would best help retain both the water's flavour and its purported "50 million bubbles.""] ::
In 2013, Perrier celebrated its 150th anniversary by launching a limited edition series of bottles inspired by Andy Warhol.
In 2019, Perrier released Perrier ARTXTRA limited edition packaging featuring artwork of artist duo Dabsmyla to help support the contemporary artist community.
Varieties
Perrier comes in several flavours: Natural, Lemon, and Lime have been on the market for many years, and in 2007, Citron Lemon-Lime and Pamplemousse Rose (Pink Grapefruit) flavours debuted in the United States. In 2015, a Green Apple flavour was launched in France as well as the US. In 2016, a Mint flavour (Saveur Menthe) was introduced in France.
Since 2002, new varieties of Perrier have been introduced in France, for example, Eau de Perrier is less carbonated than the original, and comes in a blue bottle. Perrier Fluo comes in flavours such as ginger-cherry, peppermint, orange-lychee, raspberry, and ginger-lemon.
In 2017, Perrier introduced two new flavours, Perrier Strawberry and Perrier Watermelon, to their existing Lime, L’Orange, Pink Grapefruit, and Green Apple flavour.
Distribution
As of January 2013, Perrier was available in 140 countries, and almost 1 billion bottles are sold every year.
The Perrier Awards
From 1981 to 2005, the company sponsored an annual comedy award in the United Kingdom, the Perrier Comedy Award, also known as "The Perriers". It was described as a means of supporting young comedic talent at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, an arts festival touted as "the world's largest". Initially for comedy reviews, by 1987 this included a standup comedian award. The award's sponsorship was taken over by various other advertisers starting in 2006 with commensurate renaming, and it eventually came to be called the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
The Perrier Young Jazz Awards were set up by Perrier in 1998,{{Cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/critic-s-choice-1-612744 |title=Critic's choice |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210514185935/https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/critics-choice-2463642 |archive-date=2021-05-14 |website=www.scotsman.com |access-date=2019-05-19 |url-status=live
Notes
References
References
- "Perrier®".
- Perrier Group of Canada Inc. v. Canada [1995] F.C.J. No.1571
- "Perrier Quality Report".
- (April 19, 1990). "Perrier to Remove 'Naturally Sparkling' Claim from its Bottles".
- "Perrier France on Twitter".
- (30 January 2024). "Eaux en bouteille : des pratiques trompeuses à grande échelle". Le Monde.
- James, George. (1990-02-10). "Perrier Recalls Its Water in U.S. After Benzene Is Found in Bottles". The New York Times.
- White, Michael; ''A Short Course in International Marketing Blunders: Mistakes Made by Companies that Should Have Known Better, 3rd Edition''; World Trade Press 2009; chapter 1
- Cohen, Roger. (25 March 1992). "Nestle Wins A Big Battle For Perrier". [[The New York Times]].
- (2005-03-14). "Perrier Restructuring Halted". Finanznachrichten.de.
- (14 June 2024). "Après la contamination de plusieurs puits, Perrier a suspendu la production de ses bouteilles d'un litre". France Télévisions.
- (14 June 2024). "Pourquoi les bouteilles d'un litre de Perrier ont disparu des rayons". BFMTV.com.
- (8 March 2002). "Perrier Launches New Transportable Plastic Bottle".
- (2013-09-04). "Perrier goes Pop Art with Andy Warhol".
- (December 11, 2019). "Perrier to Release Limited-Edition Packaging in January".
- (2019-12-05). "Perrier Unveils New Product Designs in Collaboration with Artist Duo DABSMYLA".
- (September 2023). "Perrier® Celebrates the Launch of New Sparkling Water Flavours, Strawberry and Watermelon, with New Campaign Featuring Artist AKACORLEONE".
- (2008). "CITRUS FRUITS (Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange)Fruits (Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange)". Springer Netherlands.
- "Perrier Brand Focus".
- (2006-06-14). "Perrier ends Edinburgh comedy tie". BBC.
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