Nestle chief trying to renovate Maggi's brand image in Indian market
Nestle chief trying to renovate Maggi's brand image in Indian market

On June 5, Indian food safety regulator banned the supply and sale of Maggi in Indian market after it said tests showed the noodles contained excessive levels of lead.

Nestle had already announced it was pulling the product from sale when the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India imposed a ban following similar moves by some state governments.

The Nestle chief Paul Bulcke is trying hard to improve the brand image of the world’s top food company and bringing back Maggi to the Indian market with the brand image it carried before. He insisted that the hugely popular Maggi brand was 100 per cent safe, saying there are misconceptions of health risk in packaged food around the world.

Nestle notched up sales of USD 14.4 billion in ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook meals last year, the third most profitable sector for the company after soft drinks and milk products and ice cream. The company faced huge losses more than 27, 000 tonnes of Maggi which led them USD 50.5 million worth of goods being withdrawn from the market, the company said.

Bulcke said that we have to harder work to reconnect with consumers and to get a way back in Indian market with same reputation and reliability. "One can have facts on one's side but it's the perception that counts," added bulcke.

"The only thing that interests me is to have the product back as soon as possible and that things are cleared up," said Bulcke, "We are doing all we can to make contact with Indian authorities at the earliest," he said, adding: "The product is safe."

The experts warn that the ban of Maggi in India could have devastating implications for neighboring countries where it is also very popular.

According to Brand Finance, a consultancy firm, Maggi is set to lose over USD 200 million in brand value following the setback in India. Maggi was previously valued at USD 2.4 billion, Brand Finance said, adding that it had ranked the noodle manufacturer as the 23rd most valuable food brand in the world.  

 
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