SC revives government case against Nestle Maggi in NCDRC

SC revives government case against Nestle Maggi in NCDRC

The government had filed a complaint in NCDRC in 2015

Nestle Maggi

MUMBAI: Boiling fresh trouble for Nestle, the Supreme Court has revived the four-year-old Consumer Affairs Ministry’s case against its instant noodles Maggi on charges of unfair trade practices, false labeling, and misleading advertisements.

A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said the report from CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru), where the testing of the Maggi noodle samples was conducted, will form the basis for the proceedings.

The government had filed a complaint in National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in 2015, using a provision for the first time in the nearly three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, stating that Nestle was causing harm to Indian consumers by allegedly indulging in unfair trade practices and false labeling of its noodles product—Maggi. The ministry had charged that Maggi noodle’s claim of being ‘Tasty Bhi Healthy Bhi’ was misleading as the product contained high amounts of lead and MSG (monosodium glutamate), which are unhealthy for human consumption. It had sought damages of Rs 640 crore from the company. The top court had earlier stayed the proceedings before the NCDRC after Nestle had challenged it.