Maggi instant noodles - 3.3-crore packets vanish within 10 days

There is a saying 'you can't put a good man down'. The same holds good for instant noodles as well because, after its relaunch, Nestle's Maggi instant noodles have vanished from the shelves at a fast rate. Nearly 3.3-crore packets have vanished within just 10 days.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 21 November 2015.

These 3.3 crore packs have been sold across 350 towns following its relaunch five months after it was banned by central food safety regulator FSSAI. The company is selling Maggi at 1.2 lakh outlets through 724 distributors.
Nestle had relaunched the Maggi instant noodles in the market on November 9, 2015 after fulfilling conditions that had been set by Bombay High Court which lifted ban imposed by FSSAI and Maharashtra FDA.
The company has indicated that the ban had impacted 3.97 lakh wheat farmers and 15,000 spice farmers besides over 10,000 employees of its suppliers. It had also had an effect on its 3,000 contract workers.
Nestle India has also said that it had to bear an exceptional cost of Rs 476.2 crore, which included cost of destroying 34,663 tons of the noodles.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Nestle India back in business – starts production of Maggi noodles

Nestle India, the Swiss giant, has indicated that it has restarted its production lines in three of its units in India and the products would come in the market once its fresh batch of products clear the prescribed tests as given by the food testing laboratories.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 26 October 2015.

It may be recalled that Nestle had to withdraw Maggi from market and stop production in June after lab tests found lead and MSG beyond permissible limits in its products. Nestle would send first samples of the fresh batches to three accredited labs for tests as directed by the Bombay High Court.
The production facilities have been restarted in Nanjangud (Karnataka), Moga (Punjab) and Bicholim (Goa) and samples would be sent to three accredited laboratories as designated by the High Court.
Nestle India had to destroying over 30,000 tonnes of its products because of the findings.
A total of 90 samples, covering six variants, had been tested by these laboratories and have been clear with lead much below the permissible limits.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Good news for Maggi 2-minute noodles – it clears lab tests and gets clean chit

This is certainly good news for lovers of Maggi 2-minute noodles – these are set to return to the shelves after having successfully cleared all the prescribed lab tests on 90 samples, covering 6 variants. The lab tests have confirmed that the quantity of lead is much below the permissible limits.
This has been reported in dnaindia.com dated 17 October 2015.

The testing was done as advised by the High Court which had, in its order of August lifted the nation-wide ban imposed on the manufacture and sale of noodles and had directed that the variants were to be tested at three laboratories in Punjab, Jaipur and Hyderabad, to ascertain the amount of lead.
The company has, in a press statement, said that Nestlé India has always maintained that Maggi Noodles are safe. It has conducted over 3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories and all reports are clear.
Moreover, various other countries, including USA, UK, Singapore, Australia and others have found the noodles manufactured in India safe for consumption.
Nestlé India has indicated that it would commence manufacture and will start selling only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the designated three laboratories.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Ramdev graduates from yoga-guru to marketing guru to capture Maggi’s market

Baba Ramdev, the yoga-guru, plans to, now, graduated to marketing and be known as the marketing guru. He is keen to capture the serval crores of rupee slot left vacant by Nestle because of withdrawal of its Maggi instant noodles from the shelves.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 9 October 2015.

His Patanjali Ayurveda is ready to launch its instant noodles. It will be a purely desi brand and would be priced at just Rs 15. Obviously, his brand wants to position itself as an alternate to a foreign brand and market it through some well-known outlets that have a pan Indian presence.
The catch line for the Ramdev noodles is "Jhat pat pakao, aur befikr khao" – it will be perfectly safe with 'no added MSG and lead'. For Maggi, it was ‘two-minute’ noodle.
The desi brand would be launched on October 15. It will be made from whole wheat flour (atta), unlike noodles of other companies where maida is used extensively with only 10 per cent atta. Moreover, “Patanjali noodles will use rice-bran oil and not cheap and inferior palm oil used by others.
He has also added that his work is based on the principles of swadesshi, where we work for the betterment and health of the country. Who knows – with the tremendous Indian influence in Silicon Valley and other corners of the globe, this new brand of noodles might even wean away foreigners from their own products.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Controversy around Maggi, the 2-minute noodle: Bombay HC lifts ban, orders fresh tests

Bombay High Court has ruled in favor of Nestle the makers of Maggi 2-minute instant noodle. The HC has lifted the ban because the labs where testing was done were unauthorized ones. The court has also directed Nestle to submit fresh samples of all types of its noodles for testing at authorized labs in Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 13 August 2015.

The court has given Nestle six weeks’ time to submit new samples and, if the content of lead is found below permissible limit by the three labs, Nestle can continue to manufacture Maggi noodles.
While passing the judgment, the Court has said that the ban orders are found to be violative. It has, therefore, set aside the order of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) because the government had not followed the principle of natural justice while passing orders.
Interestingly, the US health regulator USFDA has confirmed that tests conducted by it have found the lead level in the popular instant food to be within acceptable levels for US consumers. This has been sent via e-mail. Health regulators in the UK, Singapore, Canada, Australia and Vietnam have also cleared India-made Maggi as safe for human consumption.
Obviously, there could be vested interests at work to undermine Nestle’s products and, promote alternate ones because instant noodles have a huge market that is growing by leaps and bounds.
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Baba Ramdev to fill the void created by the ouster of Maggi noodles

Yes, a news item has emerged in the media that Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev has indicated that his Patanjali setup would bring out an alternative to Maggi noodles by the year end. That way, the foreign label would vanish and it would be a product that will bear the mark of ‘Made in India’.
This has been reported in newsnation.in dated 8 June 2015.

The health hazards connected to the consumption of the Maggi brand of 2-minute noodles have hogged the limelight for the last few days and lab tests are being conducted in various laboratories to ascertain the extent of damage that has been done to children and adults alike. Needless to say, its makers Nestle are in a fix as are a few celebrities who have endorsed the product.
Incidentally, Baba Ramdev has plans to bring into the market other products that will gradually do away with products like Complan, Horlicks and Bournvita. He also has plans to add hair dye and gel to the list.
Hopefully, if the quality of these products come up to international standards, there could be a huge export market which could transform into dollars.
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Maggi 2-minute noodle – Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachhan and Preity Zinta had endorsed the product

The Government is widening its probe into alleged lapses of food safety standards in Maggi noodles which have been endorsed by celebrities like Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta. The government has indicated that it is testing samples from all states and strict action would be taken in case it is established that there have been violations of safety standards.
The government has also indicated that brand ambassadors of the famous brand of Nestle would also be answerable. This has been reported in zeenews.com dated 2 June 2015.

It seems tests are being done by the central food safety regulator FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and the reports are expected to come in the next 2-3 days.
In the meantime, a case has been lodged against Nestle India by UP food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its product Maggi. Simultaneously, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta were also separately dragged to court because they had promoted the 'two-minute' noodles brand.
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has, however, said that the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) under the Consumer Affairs Department has not received any complaints from consumers on the Maggi issue. And, unless there is a written complaint, action cannot be taken.
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Madhuri Dixit in a spot of bother over her ad of Maggi 2-minute noodle

Madhuri Dixit is in a spot of bother about her endorsement of an ad of Maggi ‘the 2-minute noodle’ that has, till now, been a favorite of not only children of all ages but even for grown-ups. The Food and Drugs Administration of Haridwar has served the Bollywood actress with a notice demanding clarifications on claims made in the advertisement regarding Maggi noodles.
As reported in newsnation.in dated 29 May 2015, she has to respond to the notice within 15 days. In case she fails to do so, a case could be registered against her.

The clarifications have been sought on seven points.
These include how Maggi is good for health, and the basis of making the claims. She also has been asked to provide details of the contract.
It may be recalled that Maggi had come under regulatory scanner because samples collected in Uttar Pradesh and tested were found to have a substance called monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead far in excess of the permissible limit.
Incidentally, zeenews.com dated 22 May 2015 has indicated that the samples collected in some parts of Uttar Pradesh had found that Maggi contains 17 parts per million lead, while the permissible limit is only 0.01 ppm.
(Image source wikimediacommons.com)

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