The Department of Consumer Affairs is all set to file a complaint against Nestle over the Maggi issue in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). They will be using a provision from the nearly three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act, for the first time.
Agency sources said that the complaint will be filed on the basis of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements and that the government may seek financial penalties among other actions.
Describing the alleged lapses related to food safety standards in Maggi noodles as a “serious issue”, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had earlier said that NCDRC will investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
The development comes amidst the Indian unit of the Swiss multinational withdrawing Maggi from the markets after several states banned the famous ‘2-minute’ instant food brand as tests showed them containing taste enhancer MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) and lead in excess of permissible limits.
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