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Nestle India has expressed disappointment at the complaint filed by the government against it with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
“Based on newspaper reports it appears that the complaint makes similar allegations which were made to ban the product on June 5, 2015. These issues are awaiting judgment by the Honourable Bombay High Court,” the company said in a statement.
The company said it has a stringent programme to test the ingredients that go into Maggi Noodles. “In recent months, we had over 2,700 samples of Maggi Noodles tested by several accredited laboratories both in India and abroad. Each one of these tests have shown lead to be far below the permissible limits, as was the case with the five samples tested by the government accredited Referral Food Laboratory, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, on samples sent by FDA, Goa,” it added.
It also reiterated that authorities of several countries had found “made in India” Maggi Noodles to be safe for consumption. The company said it does not add monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Maggi noodles. “MSG is one of several forms of glutamic acid found in natural foods such as groundnuts/peanuts, wheat flour, tomatoes and cheese. As we use some of these ingredients in Maggi Noodles, the product will contain natural glutamic acid. We, therefore, strongly reiterate that the “No Added MSG” statement on the product was not an attempt to mislead consumers,” the statement added.
On Tuesday, the Centre sought damages worth ₹640 crore from the company for “unfair trade practices” and “sale of defective goods” following the ban on Maggi.
The sale of Maggi Oats Noodles without product approval was another point raised by the Consumer Affairs Ministry in its official statement.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry said it has filed a complaint under Section 12 (1)(d) of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, at the NCDRC on behalf of Indian consumers.
More trouble
The Ministry is also tabulating further damages which will be sought upon completion of the process. The ₹640-crore figure, which is likely to be deposited in the consumer welfare fund, was arrived at on the basis of Nestle India’s revenue of ₹9,485.32 crore in 2014. The Maggi variants constituted 30 per cent of this amount at ₹2,845.59 crore.
“The complainant has sought a sum of ₹284.55 crore that the Opponent Company is liable to pay and a sum of ₹355.4 crore as punitive damages on account of the gross negligence, apathy and callousness on the part of the Opponent Company,” said the statement.
“Thus, the total claim is for a sum of ₹639.95 crore,” it added.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had asked Nestle to recall Maggi from shelves in early-June after samples were found to contain elevated levels of lead and misleading labelling of monosodium glutamate.
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