French Watchdog Says Companies Colluded To Not Disclose Chemicals Packaging

France has accused more than 100 companies, including units of Nestlé, of colluding to not disclose information to consumers about the presence of a chemical in food packaging that some scientists say could be harmful.

The French competition authority late Tuesday, October 12, stated it had sent a statement of objections, a kind of indictment, to 101 companies and 14 trade associations alleging that they had “agreed not to communicate on the presence or on the composition of certain materials in contact with food, to the detriment of consumers.”

French authorities didn’t name the companies or trade associations involved, but Nestlé announced on Wednesday that some of its subsidiaries had been implicated.

“The company strongly disagrees with these allegations and will vigorously contest them,” Nestlé stated.

The allegations relate to the presence of bisphenol A, or BPA, which is used to make plastic hard and appears inside metal cans and in bottle tops. It is also found in products such as CDs, bike helmets, and sunglasses.

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