French dairy products company polluting country's rivers, claims study
Water front in France
According to a French media report, France’s largest dairy company Lactalis has been polluting the country’s rivers over the past decade including the Loire valley.
The Disclose group found that Lactalis had fragrantly breached environmental regulations across the country in its plants spread nationwide including ignoring the local government's safety regulations.
The report said that "Lactalis operates no less than 70 production plants in France, and a total of nearly 270 around the world" with 15,000 staff in France, adding,"the family-run group has an annual turnover of close to 20 billion euros and, an exception in the agribusiness, has never been listed on the stock exchange."
The report said the company dumped pollutants into rivers with evidence in the form of photos, videos and expert opinion.
The report claimed that Lactalis baby milk powder was discovered to have been contaminated in 2017 with salmonella. However, the CEO Emmanuel Besnier "chose a strategy of silence rather than offer public apologies to the parents of infants made ill from the bacteria", it said.
France has been trying to put its house in order as it hosts the next Olympics in 2024 with all venues and hotels under scanner over pollution norms. The Paris Olympics intends to use temporary venues ensuring minimal environmental damage.
The report comes as authorities for the Paris 2024 Olympics hope to organise the first-ever "carbon neutral" Games.