The GREAT MAGGI TEMBLOR!!

“What Xerox is to photocopier and Colgate to toothpaste, Maggi is to noodles in India.” 

-The Economic Times (2003)

Had Julius Maggi been alive today, he’d definitely be a troubled soul, if the recent controversy surrounding the elevated levels of MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) and Lead (a toxic metal) in Nestlé’s flagship offering “Maggi Noodles” is anything to go by. Strange enough, this controversy failed to elicit a response from Arnab Goswami and the likes! A mind-boggling slugfest to mislead & misinform and confuse & confound the public is being carried out serendipitously. Nevertheless, it is inevitable, this controversy will occupy the national conscious for a very-very long time.

The brand Maggi, hence acquired by Nestlé SA in 1947, includes bouillons (a broth made of strained water in which beef or chicken has been cooked), soups, seasonings, sauce and the ubiquitous NOODLES. Nestle India had reported a nearly 24% increase in its first quarter net profit at 3.2 billion rupees ($50 million) due to higher domestic and overseas sales on May 5, 2015. (For more details, click on the following link: http://asia.nikkei.com/print/article/94651).

Call it aggressive marketing or advertorial blitzkrieg, the journey of Maggi Noodles (a simple variant of only refined wheat) to Atta Noodles (made of whole wheat flour and vegetables; 2005) to Dal Atta Noodles (providing the combined goodness of Atta and pulses; 2006) , touted as a Rs.16,000 crore brand (with a present market share of 76%), and possibly the second largest brand in the country, second only to Parle-G, Maggi has now been shaken up by competition in the form of ITC's Sunfeast Yippee (14%), GSKs Horlicks Foodles (unavailable), and a few others like Indo Nissin’s Top Ramen (1.6%) and Wai-Wai (2.8%) nipping away at its once 90% market share (2009)- the latter two being immensely famous in North-East. (For more information, click on http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-03-04/news/59767320_1_brand-campaign-maggi-itc-foods).

While Nestlé and Uttar Pradesh FDA continue to be at loggerheads over the accuracy of mutual findings, the damage has already been done.

People took to Twitter- many criticized, some supported and a few mocked (spiritual guru Gurmeet Ram- Raahim Singh- of MSG: Messenger of God fame saw himself becoming the poster boy of Maggi for quite some time!). Unfortunately, the PR team of Nestlé seemed to be under-prepared and over-defensive in answering to the accusations. Joining the online slugfest, they posted a PDF containing highly technical information ignoring the fact that majority of the users browse internet through their smartphones and would be simply disinterested to browse a PDF from it let alone download and read it!

Maggi tried to calm the waters by admitting that none of their formulations in the SKU contained MSG. However, they were using protein hydrolysate, onion powder etc. which had high levels of glutamate in them and that MSG might have formed in-situ. It is widely known that prolonged consumption of MSG at elevated levels is widely known to cause Chinese restaurant syndrome. (For more information on MSG, Glutamic acid and Glutamine- their functions and effects, click on http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/msg.pdf).

However, Nestlé has been mum so far regarding the presence of high levels of Lead (17.2 ppm, as against the permissible levels of 0.1 – 2.5ppm) in the samples tested by UP FDA. Nestlé’s latest press release on 23^rd May, 2015 was a mere eye-wash and failed to address the concerns of the people- for whom Maggi is synonymous to brand-next-door. (For further reading, please click on the following link: http://www.nestle.com.my/media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/allegations-of-high-level-lead-maggi-noodles-sold-in-india).

Nestlé has proactively questioned the efficacy of the sample testing by UP FDA. It has also decided to challenge the recall of the entire suspected batch of Maggi Noodles from the market shelves claiming its batch recall protocol to be fool-proof. Nevertheless, one thing should be made clear:

Can a multi-national claim to be independent from scrutiny by regulatory agencies based on the sole premise that its protocols and methodologies are fool-proof?

Regulatory agencies like UP FDA should not, like some dim-witted TV sting operation, create a sensation and then take a backseat. They should realize that creating a brand is as difficult as creating an innovative food product. God forbid! But, should their claims be scientifically disproved, the ravages of this GREAT MAGGI TEMBLOR shall inundate its own image.

As the author writes this article, the embers of this controversy are still unleashing their heat.

“Taste Bhi, Health Bhi” is the famous catch-phrase of Maggi Noodles. May be in the coming days, we might see it transform into “Safe Bhi, Health Bhi”.

For now, the ghost of JULIUS MAGGI has been resurrected from the Holy Grail.