Why does it have a best before date ? by sourbugger
The source of Perrier water is a few kilometers to the south-west of Nimes.Rather like many breweries, the plant has introduced a tour with sampling afterwards.
For only five euros, the tour itself lasts about an hour.
Most of it consists of walking along a long high gallery built down one side of the factory floor. At various point videos are played (with English Subtitles) whilst you can look out over the vast complex as the workers, and there seem to be very few of them, tend the vast machines.
The factory itself is a very good example of what is called in business circles 'Vertical integration'. Perrier actually owns quarries where the raw materials for glass are found, the glass is made on-site, the bottles filled, packaged and sent on their way via a fleet of trucks and railway wagons.
The gallery is also decorated witha long line of empty bottles set into the wall...one is tempted to start singing... there are 14,567 green bottles hanging on the wall, and if one green bottle...and so on Ad Nausuem.
One final Question. If the water has slowly perculated through the ground for thousands of years before it is bottled - why does Perrier have a best before date on it ?
