Perrier, which is recalling 160 million bottles of its mineral water worldwide, offered a new reason for how its popular product became contaminated with benzene - a worker failed to replace a water filter.
Previously, the company had blamed the contamination on an employee it said erroneously used benzene to degrease equipment."No half measures are possible," Perrier President Gustave Leven told a news conference Wednesday. "We have decided to withdraw from sale everywhere in the world all bottles of Perrier."
Leven said the mineral water was contaminated when a filter on a gas line that was supposed to be changed every six weeks was left on for up to three months.
The decision to launch a worldwide recall followed the discovery of more contaminated Perrier in West Germany and the United States, Leven said.
In all, 160 million of the green bottles worth $35 million will be destroyed in 120 countries. The company, known as Source Perrier, is not insured for the loss, spokesmen said. Perrier is tapped from an underground natural mineral spring and is bottled in Vergeze, France.
The stock exchange watchdog organization, Commission des Operations de Bourse, opened an inquiry Wednesday into possible insider trading in Perrier shares after stock in the company tumbled.
The commission became suspicious when heavy trading of Perrier stock Friday preceded Saturday's announcement. Source Perrier shares closed at 1.490 Francs Monday, a fall of 11.9 percent. Its shares slid further on Tuesday and Wednesday.