It appears that the ban on the instant 2 minute-Maggie noodle by the authorities has backfired after Nestle belatedly contested and proved that its product was as safe. Maggie had to be taken off the shelf in many states, while some states did not find that it contained higher level of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) than permissible.
Maggie was introduced to the Indian market in 1982 and has since, become the most popular brand of lakhs of people. MSG is commonly used to enhance flavour for processed and packed food. Only a small quantity of this Monosodium Glutamate is allowed to be added and it is not safe if excess quantity is added. If the high quantity of MSG is added, consumption of that product would result in harmful side effects.In response to the appeal by Nestle, the Bombay High Court ruled, that the basic tenets of natural justice was not followed when the government banned Maggie noodles. Since May 2015, Nestle shares are down nearly 15 per cent from Rs 7,038.65 to Rs 6,010.80.
The selloff has wiped out nearly Rs 10,000 crore from Nestle’s market capitalization. The eagerness to go after Nestle/Maggie was also exposed after the consumer affairs ministry sought damages of Rs.640 crore from Maggie for allegedly misleading the consumer.
The ministry did not wait for the high court ruling while Punjab, where Nestle has its plant, imposed a one-year ban while other states banned if for a few months pending further tests.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been placed in a difficult situation. It has to either admit that the random tests were conducted with a single purpose of finding fault or defend its tests even.
The problem is not the ban on Maggie noodle but the manner in which the same law and rules were not applied on various other noodle makers. All of the noodles contain MSG and if proper tests were conducted on every item sold in the market, it would not be a surprise if all of them also faced similar ban.In one experiment, Dr. Braden Kuo of Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted an experiment to find out what happens inside a human stomach and digestive tract after eating Ramen noodles (another brand). It was found, that even after two hours, the Ramen noodles in the stomach remained undigested.
That also meant that the stomach has to work for a long time to digest the Ramen noodle. Another highly toxic substance added to extend shelf life of processed food such as noodles is Tertiary-Butyl Hydro Quinone (TBHQ) also remains for long time in the stomach. TBHQ is a byproduct of petroleum industry and listed as “antioxidant” but it is only a synthetic chemical with antioxidant properties not a natural antioxidant. This substance is also used in all processed foods sold by popular McDonalds chicken, Kellogg’s Cheez-It crackers, Reese’s peanut butter cups, crackers, frozen pizza etc.
The natural law of justice therefore, demands that similar tests be conducted on all processed food items including those sold at popular oriental or desi restaurants across India. Then only can the consumer believe that the law not only applies to all but is there for their good.
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