India’s consumer court has cleared Nestlé of government allegations of “unfair trade practices” related to the lead contamination scare that rocked the Maggi brand in 2015.
A filing on the BSE indicates the complaint, sent to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in 2015, was dismissed on Tuesday (2 April).
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Nestlé was unable to provide comment at the time of writing.
The Indian government agency had accused the Swiss giant of processing Maggi oats noodles that were not fit for sale in the country.
At the time, the Department of Consumer Affairs claimed Nestlé was selling “hazardous and defective products” to consumers that contained MSG and levels of lead that exceeded what was allowed under national regulations.
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As part of its plea, it had also called for compensation from Nestlé amounting to Rs2.8bn ($34m) and and additional sum of Rs3.5bn for “punitive damages”.
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By GlobalDataThe Department’s complaint followed on from an investigation by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that claimed to have found excess levels of lead and MSG in Maggi’s noodles in 2015.
This led to the FSSAI instigating a ban on the sale of the brand’s noodles, which was eventually lifted by the Bombay High Court following further tests on the products which came out negative for high levels of lead.
Tests carried out on Maggi products exported from India to the US, UK, Singapore and Australia, also returned “clear”, the company said.
Following these results, Nestlé was eventually permitted to resume production of Maggi noodles in India.
The FSSAI appealed the court’s decision towards the latter end of 2015.
Nestlé’s Maggi range in India includes flavoured instant noodles, masala seasoned oats noodles, instant gravies, sauces and milk powders.
