Maggi

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Maggi advertisement in Senegal

Maggi[pronunciation 1] is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and
noodles that originated in Switzerland. The brand was acquired by Nestl in 1947.
[1]

Contents [hide]
1
Company history
2
Products
2.1
Cube
2.2
Seasoning sauce
2.3
Noodles
2.4
Dehydrated soup
3
Maggi Noodles safety concerns in India
3.1
Timeline
3.2
Additional market bans
3.3
Testing controversies
3.4
Company response
3.5
Return to market
3.6
FSSAI sting operation
4
Criticism
5
See also
6
References
7
External links

Company history[edit]

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The company originated in Switzerland in 1885, when Julius Maggi took over his
father's mill. He quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming to
improve the nutritional intake of worker families. Maggi was the first to bring
protein-rich legume meals to the market, and followed up with a ready-made soup
based on legume meals in 1886. In 1897, Julius Maggi founded the company Maggi GmbH
in Singen, Germany.
In 1947, following several changes in ownership and corporate structure, Maggi's
holding company merged with the Nestl company to form Nestl-Alimentana S.A.,
currently known in its francophone home base as Nestl S.A.[2]
Products[edit]

Maggi Seasoning sauce (replica of a historic bottle)

A bottle of Maggi sauce in 2006

Bouillon cubes

Maggi masala noodles

Cube[edit]
The bouillon cube or Maggi cube is a meat substitute product that was introduced in
1908.
In West Africa and parts of the Middle East, Maggi cubes are an integral part of
the local cuisine. In Haiti and throughout Latin America, Maggi products,
especially bouillon cubes, are widely sold with some repackaging to reflect local
terminology.[3] In the German, Dutch, and Danish languages, lovage has come to be
known as Maggi herb (Ger. Maggikraut, Du. maggikruid or maggiplant, Da. maggiurt),
because it tastes similar to Maggi sauce, although lovage is not present in the
sauce.
Seasoning sauce[edit]
In Australia, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore,
Pakistan, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, German-speaking countries, the
Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland and France, "Maggi" is still
synonymous with Maggi-Wrze (Maggi seasoning sauce), a dark, soy sauce-type
hydrolysed vegetable protein-based condiment sauce. In Spain and Mexico, it is sold
under the name Jugo Maggi.[4]
Noodles[edit]
Maggi instant noodles are popular in India and Malaysia. Nestle has 39% market
share in Malaysia, where "Maggi" is synonymous with instant noodles,[5] and had 90%
market share in India prior to a nationwide ban by the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India. Following the ban, the market share was reduced to 53% in
India.[6] In Malaysia, fried noodles made from Maggi noodles are called Maggi
goreng.
In June 2015, tests in India found high amounts of lead in Maggi noodles. The Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India ordered a national recall for all 9
variants of Maggi Instant Noodles and Oats Masala Noodles.[7][8]
In India, Maggi noodles carry a green dot, meaning they are specifically formulated
to serve vegetarians.[9] This special formulation is not available in other
countries, unless imported from India.
Dehydrated soup[edit]
Like other dehydrated soup mixes, Maggi Onion Soup mix is often combined with
reduced cream to create a French onion dip.[10]
Maggi Noodles safety concerns in India[edit]
In May 2015, Food Safety Regulators from Barabanki, a district of Uttar Pradesh,
India reported that samples of Maggi 2 Minute Noodles had unexpectedly high levels
of monosodium glutamate, as well as up to 17 times the permissible limit of lead.
This finding led to multiple market withdrawals and investigations in India and
beyond.[11][12][13][14][15]
Timeline[edit]
June 3, 2015 The New Delhi Government banned the sale of Maggi in New Delhi
stores for 15 days due to these findings.[16] First Information Reports (FIRs)
against Bollywood Maggi Brand Ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, & Preity
Zinta were lodged by Sudhir Kumar Ojha, a lawyer, at Muzaffarpur district court,
asking the authorities to arrest them if required. He complained that he fell sick
after eating Maggi which he had purchased from a shop at Lenin Chowk on 30 May.[17]
June 4, 2015 The Gujarat FDA banned the noodles for 30 days after 27 out of 39
samples were detected with objectionable levels of metallic lead, among other
things,[18] and Assam banned sale, distribution, and storage of Maggi's "extra
delicious chicken noodles" variety for 30 days after tests carried out at the state
public health laboratory concluded that the particular variety contained added
monosodium glutamate and an excessively high amount of lead.[19] On June 4, 2015
the government of Tamil Nadu banned Maggi foods due to an unacceptable amount of
lead and other components.[20]
June 5, 2015 The Andhra Pradesh Government also banned Maggi foods.[21]
Also on June 5, 2015, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
ordered a recall of all nine approved variants of Maggi instant noodles and oats
masala noodles, suggesting that they were unsafe and hazardous for human
consumption.[22] On the same day, the Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom
launched an investigation into the level of lead in Maggi noodles.[23]
June 6, 2015 The Central Government of India banned nationwide sales of Maggi
noodles for an indefinite period.[24]
June 26, 2015 During a press meeting, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare
of Karnataka, U. T. Khader, stated that Maggi foods would not be banned.[25]
July, 2015 The Bombay High Court allowed the export of Maggi while the ban in
India remained.[26]
August 2015 Tests performed by the US health regulator FDA showed no dangerous
lead levels in the products.[27] On 13 August 2015, the nationwide ban was struck
down by the Bombay high court.[28] The court stated that proper procedure was not
followed in issuing the ban and called into question the test results, as the
samples were not tested at authorized laboratories accredited to the National
Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).[29]
Additional market bans[edit]
Some of India's biggest retailers (including Future Group's Big Bazaar, Easyday,
and Nilgiris) imposed a nationwide ban on Maggi.[30] In addition, multiple state
authorities in India found an unacceptable amount of lead, leading to bans in more
than 5 other states.[31][32]
Nepal indefinitely banned Maggi over concerns about the lead levels in the product.
[33] Maggi noodles were subsequently withdrawn from the market of five African
nations: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan.[34]
Testing controversies[edit]
Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Testing found some MSG in Maggi noodles. The packet
stated "No added MSG"; however, MSG naturally occurs in hydrolyzed peanut protein,
onion powder and wheat flour. Maggi offered to remove the words "No added MSG" from
the package to overcome the objection.[35]
Lead: Maggi noodles include flavouring packets named "Tastemaker" which is intended
to dissolve in water during cooking. Maggi insisted that testing should be done on
the product as it is eaten; however, the FSSAI insisted that the powder itself
should be tested. On June 5, the FSSAI said that the prescribed standards of 2.5
parts per million would have to apply to all components of the product. Out of the
13 samples tested by Delhi authorities, 10 of them had lead content exceeding this
limit. The packets that initiated the investigation from Uttar Pradesh had 17.2 ppm
of lead.[36] Nestl also questioned the reliability of the labs used. Results from
testing outside of India (Singapore,[37] US[27]) reported that Maggi noodles were
safe. In the later Bombay High Court judgment, the court agreed that the test
results by earlier labs were unreliable. The court mandated testing to be done at
three specific laboratories (Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur) where Maggi was found
safe.[38] The lead may have been naturally occurring in plants and soil[39] or from
Indian spices, although within acceptable limits.[40]
Company response[edit]
Maggi has always insisted that their noodle product is safe.[41] Maggi recalled
stock worth nearly Rs 320 crore from the shelves and paid 20 crores to a cement
factory to burn the product. In addition, Corporate Affairs Ministry imposed a Rs
640 crore fine on Nestle India for the presence of MSG and lead beyond the
permissible limit.[42]
Return to market[edit]
In India, Maggi products were returned to the shelves in November 2015,[43][44]
accompanied by a Nestl advertising campaign to win back the trust of members of
the Indian community.[45] At this time, the Maggi anthem by Vir Das and Alien
Chutney took the nation by storm.[46] Nestl resumed production of Maggi at all
five India-based plants on 30 November 2015.[47]
FSSAI sting operation[edit]
In October 2015, the India Today Television team conducted a sting operation in
which they approached FSSAI officials, pretending to have a food product with high
lead levels. The team reported that one of the officials agreed to pass the samples
without conducting any tests.[48] Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan reacted to the operation, promising to take serious action, although FSSAI
is not administered by his ministry.[49]
Criticism[edit]
Nestl has faced criticism for its advertising not adhering to marketing
regulations in developed countries, and for making misleading claims in developing
countries.[citation needed] In October 2008 Nestl mistakenly aired a commercial
meant for Bangladeshi television on British TV. The advert made false claims that
the noodles would "help to build strong muscles, bone, and hair". The British
Advertising Standards Authority stated that the advertisement did not abide by the
new EU consumer protection legislation, by which advertisers have to provide proof
of health claims.[50]
See also[edit]