New Delhi: Nestle's most popular brand of noodles Maggi, which was earlier cleared by the Bombay High Court and revoked the ban, also started selling its products online on Snapdeal from Monday.
Maggi noodles were available online at Rs 144 for 12 packs (70 gms), which was sold out in a matter of few minutes.
Nestle partnered with e-commerce firm Snapdeal to sell maggi noodles online
Chairman and Managing director of Nestle India said that Maggi Noodles rightfully belongs to the consumers and I feel happy to be able to give back to them their familiar taste during festive season.
"We have resumed manufacturing of MAGGI Noodles at three of our plants, at Nanjangud (Karnataka), Moga (Punjab) and Bicholim (Goa)," said a Nestle India Spokesperson.
Nestle India on Monday said it has begun the roll-out of Maggi noodles in 100 cities, terming the five-month ban as "one of the biggest crises" it has faced in the 32-year history of the brand in the country. It also announced a pact with Snapdeal for online sales.
"The return of Maggi Noodles on the auspicious eve of Deepawali and on the day of Dhanteras is a moment of celebration for all of us," Nestle India chairman and managing director Suresh Nayaranan said, announcing the re-launch, after it was taken off the shelves on June 5.
"The crisis we went through is a big one for Nestle India. But we were always confident about the quality and safety of Maggi noodles. It is an important brand for the company," Narayanan told a round-table with journalists to announce the re-launch.
The first to hit the shelves will be the masala variant and others will follow later, he said.
"Maggi noodles has special relationships and strong emotional bonds with consumers across the country and I am confident our bonds will grow stronger," he said. "Separately, Nestle India is pleased to partner with Snapdeal to roll-out online offers to mark tis special occasion."
The re-launched popular snack would be exactly the same as it was pre-crisis, and would be have the same product formula, Narayanan said, adding: The packaging, however, will not have the line "no-added MSG (monosodium glutamate)" which, too, had become a contentious issue.
Referring to the crisis after some tests conducted by the food safety authorities allegedly found more-than-permissible levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG), the Nestle India chief said the MSG in the packs was in its natural form, withour additives or taste enhancers.
Pointing out that Maggi noodles alone contributed 25-30 percent of the India business, Narayanan said the company will take up extensive marketing campaigns for the product.
Now what remains to be resolved is the Rs.640-crore class action suit filed by the government for allegedly misleading the public and indulging in unfair trace practices. This case is scheduled to come up again before the apex consumer court on November 23.
In June, the FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles product saying it was "unsafe and hazardous" for consumption after finding lead levels beyond permissible limits. The company had withdrawn the instant noodle brand from the market.
(With Inputs from IANS)
