Maggi to be back on shelves by October: Nestle

Nestle's popular two-minute noodle Maggi will be back on the shelves in the Indian market as early as next month, when testing is expected to be over, the company said today.

"As per orders of the Mumbai High Court, Maggi samples are being taken and sent to FSSAI for testing. Thereafter, they will go into manufacturing," Nestle India head Suresh Naryanan said.

In June, the noodles were banned in June because the regulator found excess lead and MSG content. The Food Safety Officer in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh filed a first information report (FIR) against the company over supply of noodles containing monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limits. (See: Nestle India faces prosecution in Maggi noodles issue).

Naryanan also called the recent events related to Maggi ''disappointing''. ''Quality is trust, we will defend our quality to the best of our abilities," he said.

The Bombay High Court had recently overturned the ban on Maggi. In June, the noodles were banned because of alleged excessive lead content and MSG was found in its samples (Bombay HC lifts ban on Nestle's Maggi, orders fresh tests).

The company, which has taken a hit of Rs450 crore from the ban, and spent Rs20 crore to destroy over 30,000 tonnes of the instant noodles, has said that it will continue with the existing formula of the product and not change the ingredients.

Acknowledging that the ban has ''dented'' the company, Narayanan had earlier said Nestle has to win back consumer confidence and will "spend aggressively" on rebuilding the brand from a "zero" level through customer engagement activities and advertisements.

When asked if the company would consider seeking damages from food regulators on the back of Bombay High Court judgement, Narayanan had remained non-committal said the company's focus would be to bring back Maggi as soon as possible, look ahead and move on while working together with authorities.