High lead content in 1 batch can’t justify blanket ban: Nestle

Nestle India, manufacturer of Maggi noodles, told the Bombay High Court on Friday that a certain batch of its instant food product may have contained lead beyond permissible limit but government's decision to impose a blanket ban was unfair and illegal.

If a particular batch was substandard, it could have been banned but stopping the entire production was not justified, argued Nestle's lawyer, senior advocate Iqbal Chhagla. "Without receiving any complaint, the FSSAI has banned our product, due to which we lost goodwill, reputation and suffered huge losses running into crores of rupees," Chhagla said.   The court was hearing a petition filed by Nestle against FSSAI's June 5 order banning nine variants of Maggi and Maharashtra govt's order prohibiting sale of Maggi.