Maggi is back, minister favours monitoring job for FSSAI and not licensing -Governance Now

Maggi is back, minister favours monitoring job for FSSAI and not licensing

Maggi noodles was relaunched on November 9 after a five-months ban

GN Bureau | November 30, 2015

#Maggi noodles #Maggi ban #Maggi back #FSSAI #Maggi

While fighting battle on many fronts, Nestle India has resumed production of Maggi noodles at all five facilities in India. Nestle manufacturers Maggi noodles at its plants in Nanjangud (Karnataka), Moga (Punjab) Bicholim (Goa) and Tahliwal and Pantnagar in Himachal Pradesh.

Maggi noodles was relaunched on November 9 after a five-months ban. "The company has resumed manufacturing of Maggi noodles at its Tahliwal (Himachal Pradesh) factory. With this, the company has resumed manufacture of Maggi noodles at all five noodle manufacturing facilities," Nestle said in a BSE filing.

The company has stated that it would continue with the existing formula of the product and would not change the ingredients.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi noodles, saying it was "unsafe and hazardous" for consumption after finding lead content beyond permissible limits.

The consumer affairs ministry had also filed a class action suit against Nestle India, seeking about Rs 640 crore in damages for alleged unfair trade practices, false labeling and misleading advertisements.

It was for the first time that the ministry dragged a company to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ( NCDRC) using a provision in the nearly three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act.

Meanwhile, food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has said that it is much important for FSSAI to create protocols, transparent environment to what is needed and what is not.

She told Economic Times in a interview that the FSSAI needs to harmonise with international standard. She felt that the FSSAI could go about monitoring the situation, rather than approving thousands of products which take a number of years to be on shelves. "From 300 safety standards for food items put by FSSAI, they have now finalised 12,000 standards for food additives and ingredients, which are in harmony with Codex standard. Once this system is done, it eases the situation. It is a step in the right direction," the minister informed.

Nestle India’s loss amounted to Rs 450 crore including destroying of over 30,000 tonnes of the instant noodles since June. It had reported a standalone loss of Rs 64.40 crore in the second quarter (AprilJune) for the first time in last 15 years due to the ban on Maggi.

Reeling under the Maggi ban, Nestle India had on October 29 reported 60.1 per cent decline in standalone net profit at Rs 124.20 crore for the third quarter ended September 2015. Its net sales had declined 32.12 per cent to Rs 1,736.20 crore as against Rs 2,557.80 crore of the JulySeptember quarter a year ago.

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