Brands
Nestle India recalls Maggi from shelves; maintains it’s safe
MUMBAI: It comes as no surprise that Nestle Global CEO Paul Bulcke is in India for damage control and takes stock of the situation here. Having reduced production by a third, sales halved for the brand with a 75 per cent market share and market price plunging by nine per cent in a day, Nestle India’s Maggi is indeed seeing a slow boil.
In a statement, the MNC said that it had decided to withdraw the product from shelves across India.
Addressing the media in a press conference held in Delhi today, Bulcke said that the company applied the same quality standards everywhere in the world. “We do not add MSG in Maggi noodles and it is safe for consumption in India,” he said.
Speaking about recalling the product from the market, Bulcke said, “What we do here is only with the consumer in mind. I don’t feel this is the right environment to have the product on shelves.”
Additionally, India’s central food safety regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now ordered Nestle India to recall nine Maggi variants from the market.
Justifying its stance Nestle has said in an earlier statement that the batch in which the UP government found lead was an expired batch. The company’s reasoning remains restricted to testing the product in their labs and some external labs as well. However, as many as six Indian state governments have not accepted their testing and have called for a ban for the noodles brand.
“We are aware of media reports that say a case has been filed against us by the authorities in Uttar Pradesh. On receipt of the official notice we will take appropriate action under the guidance of our legal advisors. We cannot comment any further at this stage,” the company had said.
The company, like its CEO Bulcke, has maintained that there was no added flavour to its product. “We do not add the flavour enhancer MSG (E621) to Maggi Noodles in India. However, the product contains glutamate from hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour. Glutamate produces a positive result in a test for MSG,” said Nestle India.
In light of the trust of its consumers and the safety of its products being Nestle’s first priority, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product has led to an environment of confusion for the consumer, to such an extent that the product has been withdraw from the shelves, despite the company claiming it to be safe.
While it is unlikely that this controversy will die down in “2 Minutes,” Maggi Noodles nonetheless promises to come back in the market as soon as Nestle India takes corrective measures in order to get out of this imbroglio.
After all the hullabaloo about Nestle withdrawing nine variants of its noodle brand from the shelves, the latest development in the Maggi controversy is that the government has asked the company to stop further production, processing, import, distribution and sale of the product.
The FMCG major was also asked to withdraw and recall the food product “Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker” and any other product for which risk assessment has not been undertaken and product approval granted.
The FSSAI did not find a satisfactory response from Nestle India’s representatives, who were given a hearing on 4 June by FSSAI chairman and CEO to seek their response in the matter and hence this decision was taken.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
