Nestle welcomes Indian court ruling in Maggi case

(Zurich) REUTERS: Food group Nestle said on Thursday a ruling by India’s Supreme Court marked a partial victory in its row with the government over Maggi noodles.

Maggi, Nestle India’s single-largest revenue earner, was banned in June 2015 for six months across the country following allegations it contained chemicals beyond prescribed limits.

The company had to recall and destroy 38,000 tonnes of Maggi noodles from millions of retail shelves. The ban was relaxed in November 2015.

In Thursday’s ruling, the Supreme Court backed Nestle’s stance that analysis of Maggi noodles already conducted by the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) sufficed to help decide a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the company said.

That analysis showed that samples met standards for lead and other parameters, Nestle added.

The ruling set aside efforts by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to conduct more tests, Nestle said, adding the case would now proceed based on the CFTRI reports.