NCDRC reserves order on testing of 31 more Maggi samples

New Delhi: The apex consumer court Tuesday reserved its order on whether 31 more samples of Maggi noodles should be sent for testing in connection with the government's Rs 640 crore suit against Nestle India for alleged unfair trade practices.

A bench of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) reserved its verdict after the Department of Consumer Affairs said it wished to test 31 more samples, which would be the last batch to be tested.

The department had said it had identified 31 samples from different batches in a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) godown which it would like to test.

The consumer court asked the government to provide a list of accredited laboratories for testing of the samples.

In its petition, the Department of Consumer Affairs has alleged that Nestle India had "indulged in unfair trade practices by false labelling of Maggi Noodles in as much as it states 'No added MSG' prominently on packet, despite presence of MSG." Monosodium glutamate is a salt used in the food industry for enhancing flavour.

The department has also alleged that the company sold "defective" goods to the public with the presence of lead and MSG and indulged in unfair trade practices by offering for sale Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker without risk assessment and product approval.

Among other things, it has sought a direction to the company to recall all "defective" and "hazardous goods" with respect to Maggi noodles with Tastemaker in all its variants and Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker.