Mumbai: When Swiss national Julius Maggi created an instant food recipe in 1863, little did he know that his invention will become a household name in one of the British colonies i.e. India. The Swiss government had then asked Maggi to create a quick-to-prepare yet nutritious food product for the working women in the country. Over a century-and-a-half later, the same product became the first choice of the urban India women when it came to instant and convenient food.
Though Maggi was introduced to India in 1982, it took the brand quite a long time to get accepted here. “The basic problem that Maggi noodles faced was the Indian palate, which, until two decade ago, was not too adventurous in terms of trying new tastes. People didn’t want to ditch their parathas and pohas for something that looked and tasted foreign,” said Pratap Sharma, a septuagenarian and an ardent Maggi noodles lover. “Soon the brand realized that if it wanted to capture one of the biggest consumer markets in the world, it needs to target the younger generation and familiarize them with the taste of its noodles,” he claimed.
Maggi, in the early 90s started free distribution of noodles packets amongst school children. “The students would come home with packets of Maggi noodles and ask their mothers to cook. While the kids loved its taste, the mothers found it very convenient,” said Hasan Askari, who has been eating Maggi noodles ever since it was launched in the country. This tuned Maggi’s fortunes in India, as it had hit the bull’s eye – appealed to kids, young mothers, working women and convenience savvy time misers.
Moreover, the company even started targeting rural area with smaller pack variants and further lured the urban consumers, suffering from time poverty but with increasing disposable income with health and wellness offerings such as wholegrain, atta, real vegetables and recent one like oat noodles. The brand rapidly climbed the success ladder and reached to the top with 63 per cent of the total instant noodles market share before it was declared harmful and subsequently banned by the government agencies earlier this month.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of Indian (FSSAI) claimed that the Maggi noodles contained lead and Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer, way beyond the permissible limit. However, Maggi claimed that ‘it is only real (lead free) Maggi when the noodles and masala are boiled in water’ and that way authorities were testing Maggi was wrong, pointing to its own tests of Maggi showing that lead amounts were well within the limits.
However, the FSSAI said that the final process of preparation – in this case boiling the noodles in water and adding the masala – had no linkage with the manufactured product and that compliance had to apply to both items. It even pointed out that the water it is mixed in may contain lead, for which the company would not be liable, so that form of testing could not apply.
It also found two more problems with Maggi products. The first was the “No MSG added” label, which FSSAI found was inaccurate labeling, since the product does include Mono Sodium Glutamate. (See Box – Maggi’s instant lie). The other was that Maggi Oats Masala Noodles was put on the market without completing the process of risk assessment.
While the nation-wide mid-meals snack favorite is safe or not still remains a question, the trust of those who loved Maggi all their lives has surely taken a beating. “Soon after my 5-year-old daughter would return from school, I would give her Maggi and send her to play and then get busy with preparing dinner. Now I don’t think I will give her anything that is ready to cool, as all of them may have preservatives which may be harmful,” Aviva Bhatt, a young mother.
Likewise, Manasi Chopra, a student who loved to eat piping hot Maggi especially during monsoons and winters, says I’ll have to find a replacement soon, as now I can’t trust any other noodle brand. If something as safe as Maggi can contain lead and MSG, I am sure others too would be no different.”
It’s clear that the days ahead for company are not going to be easy. The company may have to reinvent the product to regain the position it once held in the psyche of the people. All that Maggi lovers now want from the company is a snack, which is healthy and tasty as what they cook in their kitchens. Maggi can go ahead and take a full 10 minutes and not just the hurried two.
Desi alternatives of Maggi
Sevai and chapati noodles
If you want to treat yourself to a delicious meal of ‘taste bhi and health bhi’, and are looking for a Maggi replacement, sevai noodles are your best bet. Just add loads of vegetables and groundnuts to make them healthy. Women can even use the leftover and make chapati noodles. Simply cut thin strips of chapatis and fry them in the mixture of capsicum, onion, carrot, green, with a dash of olive oil and soy sauce.
Rice and bread poha
Poha can be the best snack you can treat yourself to and that too without compromising on ease and taste. Just garnish your plate of poha with groundnuts, sev or namkeen. You can also make poha from using bread. It’s a simple preparation of bread pieces cooked with mixed vegetables and spices. Add groundnuts, coriander and basil leaves to garnish.
Maggi’s instant lie
The company had faced severe criticism of its advertising not adhering to marketing regulations in developed countries, and making misleading claims in developing countries. In October 2008, the company mistakenly aired a commercial meant for Bangladeshi television on British TV. The ad claimed that the Maggi noodles would help to build strong muscles, bone and hair.
