KILLER TASTE

Various state FDA reports on Janata's favorite instant noodles have created furore. Saans lena to Mushkil ho hi rakha tha, ab khaana bhi mushkil ho gaya. Things turned as ugly as they can. Maggi failed on multiple counts of food standards. And as the closet started to unreveal itself, there were more skeletons as well. It transpired that Nestle has brought into market a product (Maggi Oat Noodles), for which approval was still pending. This revelation put Nestle in a tight spot and even the jet-setting CEO has to concede to the failings of the FMCG giant. Whatever may be the final results after due inquiry, there are certain things which the incident exposed. First, it laid bare the ethical charade of MNCs like Nestle. It was highly unethical on its part to not declare presence of MSG in its product. Just by using clever wordings ('No Added MSG'), it cannot shy away from the onus of responsibility. Following the rules is one thing, following their spirit is the another. Nestle failed miserably on the latter part. Secondly, presence of alarming levels of lead shows that its quality checks have failed to live up the expected standards which are associated with a so called MNC. People in this country might be poor, but their lives are not cheap. Finally, the incident is also a wake up call that not only air, but our water and soils also need a reality check.