Maggi

Maggi advertisement in Senegal

Maggi^{[pronunciation 1]} is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland. It was acquired by Nestlé in 1947.^[1]

Company history

The company originally started 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 the Singen, Germany where it is still based today.

In 1947, following several changes in ownership and corporate structure, Maggi's holding company merged with the Nestlé company to form Nestlé-Alimentana S.A., currently known in its francophone homebase as Nestlé S.A.^[2]

Products

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  Maggi Seasoning sauce (replica of a historic bottle)

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  A bottle of Maggi sauce in 2006

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  Bouillon cubes

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  Maggi masala noodles

Cube

The bouillon cube or "Maggi cube" is a meat substitute product that was introduced in 1908. Because chicken and beef broths are so common in the cuisines of many different countries, the company's products have a large worldwide market.

In West Africa and parts of the Middle East, Maggi cubes are used as 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

In 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-Würze (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

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 90% market share 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 and monosodium glutamate in Maggi noodles. The FSSAI 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

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

Roadside Maggi and chai stall in Uttarakhand, India

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.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} On June 3, 2015, the New Delhi Government banned the sale of Maggi in New Delhi stores for 15 days due to these findings.^[16] On June 4, 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.^[17] Assam had banned sale, distribution, and storage of Maggi's "extra delicious chicken noodles" variety for 30 days since June 4, 2015 after tests carried out at the state public health laboratory concluded the particular variety to contain added monosodium glutamate and excessively high lead content.^[18] Some of India's biggest retailers like Future Group, which includes Big Bazaar, Easyday, and Nilgiris have imposed a nationwide ban on Maggi.^[19] In addition, multiple state authorities in India have found an unacceptable amount of lead which has led to bans in more than 5 other states.^[20][21]

On June 4, 2015 the government of Tamil Nadu banned Maggi foods due to an unacceptable amount of lead and other components.^[22]

On June 5 the Andhra Pradesh Government also banned Maggi foods.^[23]

During a press meet on June 26, 2015, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Karnataka, U. T. Khader, stated that Maggi foods would not be banned. ^[24]

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 unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.^[25] On the same day, the Food Standards Agency of the United Kingdom launched an investigation into the level of lead in Maggi noodles.^[26] On June 6, 2015, the Central Government of India banned nationwide sale of Maggi noodles for an indefinite period.^[27] Nepal indefinitely banned Maggi over concerns about lead levels in the product.^[28] Maggi noodles have been withdrawn in five African nations: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan by a super-market chain after a complaint by the Consumer Federation of Kenya.^[29]

Testing controversies:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG): Testing found some MSG in Maggi noodles. The packet stated "No added MSG"; however, MSG naturally occurs in hydrolyzed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour. Maggi offered to remove the words "No added MSG" from the package to overcome the objection.^[30]
• Lead: Maggi noodles include flavoring 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.^[31] Nestlé also questioned the reliability of the labs used. Results from testing outside of India (Singapore,^[32] USA ^[33]) reported that that Maggi noodles are 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.^[34] The lead may have been naturally occurring in plants and soil^[35] or from Indian spices, although within acceptable limits.^[36]

The Bombay High Court allowed the export of Maggi while the ban in India remained.^[37]

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 May 30.^[38]

Maggi has always insisted that their noodles are safe.^[39] 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^[40]

In August, tests performed by the US health regulator FDA showed no dangerous lead levels in the products.^[33] On 13 August 2015, the nationwide ban was struck down by the Bombay high court. 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).^[41]

Maggi came back to the shelves in India in November 2015.^[42][43] Nestle has also been running a campaign to win back trust of members of the Indian community.^[44] Nestle in India resumed production of Maggi in all five plants,that is Nanjangud (Karnataka), Moga (Punjab) Bicholim (Goa) and Tahliwal and Pantnagar in Himachal Pradesh, on 30 November 2015.^[45]

FSSAI Sting Operation

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 in October 2015. One of them agreed to pass the samples without conducting any tests. He told the team that "When you make money by selling your product, just pay me Rs 20,000 on a yearly basis".^[46] He revealed that milk samples from one of India's best known companies had been dismissed by deliberately adulterating it, because company did not agree to bribe the inspectors.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan reacting to the operation said that "Standard products are being labelled as sub-standard and faulty products are being passed by such corrupt officials. This is a big crime and I demand strongest possible action against all those found guilty," and promised to take serious action, although FSSAI is not administered by his ministry.^[47] Commenting on the reports, Union Health Ministry stated that FSSAI has clarified that the officials who have figured in the sting operation are not working in FSSAI but are employees of the UP state government.^[48]

Criticism

Nestlé has faced criticism of its advertising not adhering to marketing regulations in developed countries, and making misleading claims in developing countries. Also, in October 2008 Nestlé 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 said that the advert did not abide by the new EU consumer protection legislation, by which advertisers have to provide proof of health claims.^[49]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maggi.

• Official website
• Maggi Centroamérica