French Public Health Code
In forcePackaged natural mineral waters are held for sale, offered for sale, sold or distributed free of charge, under one of the following sales names:
1° "Natural mineral water" or "Non-carbonated natural mineral water", which designates a natural mineral water that is not effervescent, i.e. that does not spontaneously release carbon dioxide when it emerges in a way that is clearly perceptible under normal conditions;
2° "Naturally sparkling natural mineral water" or "sparkling natural mineral water", which designates an effervescent water whose carbon dioxide content coming from the source, after possible decanting and conditioning, is the same as at emergence, taking into account, if necessary, the reincorporation of a quantity of gas coming from the same aquifer or deposit equivalent to that of the gas released during these operations and subject to the usual technical tolerances;
3° "Natural mineral water fortified with gas from the source", which designates effervescent water with a carbon dioxide content from the same water table or deposit, after any decanting and conditioning, which is higher than that found at the source;
4° "Natural mineral water with added carbon dioxide", which designates water made effervescent by the addition of carbon dioxide from a source other than the water table or deposit from which it comes.
The sales description is accompanied by the words "totally degasified", when the water to which the said description applies has undergone treatment to completely eliminate its free carbon dioxide, or by the words "partially degasified" when this elimination is partial. These eliminations can only result from the use of exclusively physical processes.
