It has now been three days since the Lebanese Ministry of Health abruptly ordered the suspension of Tannourine Mineral Water, and sadly, what began as a public health issue has quickly spiralled into yet another example of administrative mismanagement, something all too common in Lebanon.
Both the Ministers of Agriculture and Health, the key figures behind this decision, have mishandled the situation from the very beginning. To date, neither has held an official press conference to explain, clarify, or apologize for the chaos their actions have caused.
The most recent development is that the Ministry of Agriculture received test results from the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) for nine random samples of Tannourine water bottles collected from the market. According to Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani, all samples were found to be completely free of bacterial or chemical contamination.
This strongly indicates that the Minister of Health will soon have no choice but to reverse the suspension and allow Tannourine to resume normal operations. However, lifting the suspension alone is not enough. There are multiple reasons why both ministers should resign immediately:
1- The internal memo announcing the suspension was leaked from the Ministry of Health, clear evidence of a lack of control and professionalism.
2- The Minister of Agriculture openly admitted that he signed the document without thoroughly reviewing its contents.
3- The initial tests that triggered the suspension were reportedly conducted in a lab not certified for such analyses, raising serious concerns about their validity.
4- Tannourine was never consulted or given a chance to respond before being ordered to halt all operations. In similar global cases, such as Perrier, regulators coordinated closely with companies to manage the situation transparently and responsibly.
5- Both ministries failed to explain what the alleged contamination involved, sparking unnecessary public panic. In contrast, Qatar, which imports Tannourine, issued a more professional statement when it temporarily pulled the product from shelves.
To be clear, this is not a personal attack on either minister. They may be competent individuals in other areas, but accountability is non-negotiable. Their actions have seriously damaged the reputation of one of Lebanon’s leading companies; both domestically and abroad. Even if the suspension is revoked, the harm to Tannourine’s image is likely irreversible. That cannot be brushed aside by a minister casually stating he drinks Tannourine in his office.
Through it all, the only party that has handled this crisis with transparency and professionalism is Tannourine itself. Their calm and composed response deserves recognition, and one can only hope this unfortunate incident is soon forgotten.
