NESTLE WATERS INAUGURATES ITS
PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY CENTRE, WATER –
NESTLE’S FIRST RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO WATER

Paris, 8^th September 2004

Nestlé Waters, worldwide leader in bottled water, officially inaugurated Nestlé’s first research and development centre entirely dedicated to water, on the 7th September in Vittel, France. Frits van Dijk, Nestlé Waters CEO, and Werner Bauer, Nestlé’s Executive Vice President, Technical, attended the inauguration.

The Product Technology Centre, Water (PTC, Water) is intended to gather all knowledge necessary to rapidly and sustainably develop Nestlé Waters’ business activities. It brings together a wide range of expertise from the environment to science, technology and basic research, thanks to a multidisciplinary team of 80 specialists. The creation of the centre required an investment of 8 million euros.

The main missions of this R&D centre are focused on:

- Experimenting with new industrial processes to improve plant performances

- Defining and implementing new analysis techniques to guarantee high quality products

- Compiling data and developing models to provide and share water-related information and practices among all Nestlé Group units in a timely fashion

- Quickly developing new products and packaging (innovation and renovation) to satisfy ever evolving consumer expectations

In a highly competitive market, innovation and renovation play a major role in a brand’s life. They help energize the brand’s image while enhancing consumer loyalty and attracting new consumers. Recent Nestlé Waters innovations include a new 2 litre Vittel bottle with integrated handle; Perrier Fluo and its surprising array of flavours; and the Contrex flavoured range.

According to Frits van Dijk, Nestlé Waters CEO: “The PTC, Water is a tremendous asset. It is the very expression of Nestlé Waters’ leadership, which centres around the permanent search for quality, innovative products that are well-suited to consumer needs, at an affordable price.”

Nestlé Waters – the Nestlé Group’s water division – is present in 130 countries and a key player in the bottled water market. Thanks to a portfolio of 77 brands (sold in all types of packaging and distribution channels), Nestlé Waters leads the bottled water

market worldwide with a 17% market share in terms of value. The company achieved sales of some 5 billion euros (8.1 billion Swiss francs) in 2003.

For further information:

Media contact: Candy Miller

Nestlé Waters External Communications

Tel: +33 (0)1.41.23.39.74

Email: candy.miller@waters.nestle.com

www.press.nestle-waters.com