Government seeks $100 million damages from Nestle over Maggi instant noodles

India has filed a complaint against Nestle accusing the company of misleading customers and endangering their health while also resorting to unfair trade practices.

According to The Times of India, the Indian government is seeking damages to the tune of $100 million in its complaint to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).

The grouse of the government is the hugely popular instant noodles brand Maggi, which it banned in early June for allegedly containing high amounts of lead.

Nestlé however insisted the product was safe for consumption but removed it from shelves across India nonetheless.

Indian officials accuse Nestlé of attempting to make a misleading association between the noodles and health in the consumer's mind. They also allege that Nestlé sold some of its noodles as containing no MSG, which was reportedly not the case.

In addition, they accuse Nestlé of falsely representing that a product called Maggi Oat Noodles had been approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), when it allegedly had not.

In a statement, Nestle said that it had not yet received an official notice of the damage claims.

Food authorities in several countries including the UK and Canada have all said that the noodles are safe to consume, but the Indian government has questioned the validity of those findings.