December 31 – A federal judge in Connecticut refuses to dismiss a long-running lawsuit accusing the former Nestlé Waters North America of misleading consumers by labeling Poland Spring bottled water as “spring water.” .
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven dismissed some of the claims in the proposed class action lawsuit, while ruling in states such as Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. .
Poland Spring is now owned by Primo Brands, based in Tampa, Fla., after several corporate transactions Opens in a new tab.
In 2017, consumers were tricked into overpaying for Nestlé Waters, then owned by Nestlé, using labels that described Poland Spring as “natural spring water” or “100% natural spring water.” He filed a lawsuit alleging that he had been harassed.
Plaintiff et al. said Not a single drop of the billion gallons sold annually in the U.S. comes from natural springs, and the actual Polish springs in Maine were sold 20 years before Nestlé acquired the brand in 1992. It was said to have been “depleted.”
Nestlé Waters, seeking a dismissal, said geologists and officials from eight states argued that Poland Spring complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules defining spring water, and that each state would classify its sales as “spring water.” He said that he agreed that it was licensed as such.
But the judge cited a former Syracuse University geology professor hired by the plaintiffs to say that Nestlé Waters uses artificial springs and replaces “real” spring water with pond water and other surface water. He said that it seems to be extracted.
Mr. Meyer agreed with Nestlé Waters that the plaintiffs were not entitled to request a new label because they knew the “truth” of the allegations about Poland Spring and could purchase other brands of water. .
Primo said in a statement that it is confident that Maine Spring Water, the source of Poland Spring, complies with FDA regulations.
“Poland Spring brand bottled water is 100% natural water,” the company said. “We remain confident in our position and look forward to successfully defending the remaining claims.”
Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not respond to requests for comment.
Nestlé Waters was Nestlé's bottled water business in North America. Nestlé sold the company to two private equity firms in 2021 and changed its name to Blue Triton. That company merged with the former Primo Water in November to form Primo Brands.
The case is Patan v. Nestlé Waters North America, Inc., U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, No. 17-01381.
