Criminal Charges Against Nestlé in Maggi Noodles Safety Case Quashed by Bombay High Court
Criminal Charges Against Nestlé in Maggi Noodles Safety Case Quashed by Bombay High Court
The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has set aside a criminal case against Nestle India Ltd. and its executives over concerns about the safety and quality of Maggi instant noodles. The case was dismissed due to an invalid laboratory report.
In a ruling dated January 7, Justice Urmila Joshi Phalke quashed the case filed under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act. The court held that the prosecution could not proceed as the lab report relied upon was not from a properly accredited laboratory.
According to the court, food testing under Section 43(1) of the FSS Act must be conducted by laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and recognized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The Referral Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad, which had tested Maggi noodles, did not meet this requirement. As a result, the court deemed the report inadmissible.
Maggi noodles were banned nationwide in June 2015 after reports claimed the product contained chemicals exceeding permissible limits. Nestle India was forced to recall and destroy 38,000 tonnes of Maggi noodles. The ban was lifted in November 2015 after further testing found the product safe for consumption.
In the same year, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs filed a complaint against Nestle India under the Consumer Protection Act. The company was accused of misleading consumers and engaging in unfair trade practices regarding Maggi noodles. This was the first time such provisions had been used under the Act.
With the court’s ruling, the case against Nestle India and its executives stands dismissed.
