Nestle in damage control, to launch media blitz on safety of Maggi noodles

FMCG major Nestle India is planning a media blitz

to tell consumers that instant noodles Maggi is safe for consumption, a company official said Friday.

The move comes in the wake of the Supreme Court Thursday reviving the government case in National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) against Nestle India seeking damages of Rs 640 crore for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements of its Maggi noodles.

In the campaign, Nestle would publish a series of advertisements in all leading national newspapers informing the consumers about the safety of Maggi Noodles and the outcome of the lab test reports, which had cleared it for consumption, a Nestle India spokesperson said.

"Our approach as a credible, trustworthy and responsible company is to always communicate with consumers on facts, in a simple, clear and transparent tone and manner.

"What you will see in the print ads to be released over the next few days is just that," the spokesperson added.

Asked about the campaign's duration, the spokesperson said it would be initially for three days and then the company will look at the consumer response.

On Thursday, Supreme Court had allowed NCDRC to proceed with a three-year-old suit with regard to Maggi filed by the government only on the basis of laboratory test reports by the CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru).

According to Nestle, CFTRI "analysis results showed that samples (of Maggi Noodles) were compliant for lead and other relevant parameters".

The apex court was hearing a case filed by the company against two interim orders passed by NCDRC in a suit filed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs seeking damages of Rs 640 crore.

The government had moved NCDRC after Nestle's popular instant noodles Maggi was banned by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in June 2015 for allegedly containing lead beyond permissible limits, forcing the company to withdraw the product from the market.