Nestle India moves SC against NCDRC order on Maggi samples

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday sought the Centre's response to a plea of Nestle India Ltd against an order for testing of 16 more samples of Maggi noodles in connection with the government's Rs 640 crore suit against the company for alleged unfair trade practices.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant issued notices to the government on an appeal by the company against December 9 order of the apex consumer commission.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) had, in a recent order, sent 16 more samples of Maggi noodles for further testing.

The apex court tagged Nestle's appeal against the NCDRC order with a plea filed by food regulator FSSAI against the Bombay High Court verdict lifting the ban on nine variants of the fast food and asking the company to go for fresh tests.

In the fresh petition by Nestle, the company has challenged the order passed by NCDRC, directing further testing of 16 more samples.

The matter pertains to the government's petition which has alleged that Nestle India had "indulged in unfair trade practices by false labelling of Maggi noodles inasmuch 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.