Our Peasantry has to commit suicide why should we live?

What if Nestle withdraws popular noodles from shelves across India!

Just consider about the generous clean chit around without creating hue and cry about the so called BAN.

Hindutva Protagonist Shiv Sena opposes action against Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit!

Palash Biswas

No wonder!Hindutva Protagonist Shiv Sena opposes action against Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit!

We have seen Bhopal Gas Tragedy to happen.We have allowed to continue the experiments of mass destruction.We could not resist radioactive FDI based Making in calamities!

We,as a Nation celebrate GM food and our citizenship is reduced to hybrid biotechnology!

We have destroyed agrarian India and its indigenous production system and opted for imported food and drinks.

Our peasantry has no option but to opt for suicide?

Why should we live?

This chemistry of death is something like poetic justice!

And see,how this bullshit fairness blitz is defended!

Hindutva Protagonist Shiv Sena opposes action against Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit!

I have been insisting again and again that we should look beyond the beyond the Brand war as nothing has to change with withdrawal of some exposed product just because of worsen public opinion and discredited marketing.Better we should understand the  basic phenomenon of strategic marketing and the expansion of free market economy in a times of decontrolling,deregulating,Tax Holiday regime of business friendly fascism.The alchemists of death plays the death game behind the curtain and they would simply change the strategy of money making at the cost of the life and nature.

Thus,as Indian Express reports, Facing ban across several states in the country and a threat of nationwide ban looming large on Maggi noodles on account of more than permissible limit of lead and MSG in various samples, Nestle has decided to take the products off the shelves. In a statement issued late in the night, Nestle said, "The trust of our consumers and the safety of our products is our first priority. Unfortunately, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product have led to an environment of confusion for the consumer, to such an extent that we have decided to withdraw the product off the shelves, despite the product being safe."

I does not change our life anyway,mind you!As we continue to consume whatever is catered by Visual virtual blitz amidst false celebration of Environment day as we have ceased to celebrate life!

Just consider about the generous clean chit around without creating hue and cry about the so called BAN.

The company however claimed in its release that Maggi Noodles is completely safe and has been trusted in India for over 30 years and promised that the noodles will be back in the market as soon as the current situation is clarified. In the meantime, Nestle's global CEO, Paul Bulcke is set to hold a press conference in New Delhi on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, Nestle made a presentation to the Health Ministry and defended the quality of Maggi noodles. It said that the samples detected with excess lead in Uttar Pradesh, which triggered nationwide scrutiny were past the expiry date. 

Just see this report!

"Though the main action is being taken by FSSAI, we have powers to take action against those involved in misleading advertisements," Gurucharan has been quoted as saying.

ALSO READ: 'If violation proved, pan-India action against Maggi next week'

The move comes after a test by the Uttar Pradesh FDA on 2 dozen packets from a single plant showed lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), nearly seven times the permissible limit and high levels of added monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer.

The Haridwar FDA last week issued a summons to Dixit, once the darling of Indian filmgoers who now asks health-conscious moms to serve Maggi Oats noodles for breakfast. And on Tuesday, a district court in Bihar issued orders to file an FIR against Maggi's brand ambassadors.

But why on earth are brand ambassadors liable for the product itself?

ALSO READ: Misleading Maggi ads: What about publishers and broadcasters?

While one suspects that these notices are no more than a desire to either a) at best, get bragging rights for some mid-level sarkaari babu about how he/she bullied some of Bollywood's biggest names and b) at worst, get a photo and autograph from the poor actors who must present themselves.

I say no fault because a brand ambassador is not under any compulsion, legal or ethical, to make sure that every single batch that the company produces is perfect in every single way. Mind you, I am talking here only of large brands by reputable companies, not your locally-produced cheap imitation.

Hell, even the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954, said that up to 5 pieces of rodent feces and hair were permissible in each kilo of wheat, maize, jowar, bajra, rice, and masoor, urad, moong, chana and arhar pulses, a glaring health hazard that was only removed in 2001 after a public interest litigation. In other words, it took the government 54 years and a court case to get rid of rat shit in your most basic food items. But I don't recall any politician who extolled the PDS system being pulled up for it.

For one, it is the government's job to make sure that a food product is safe to consume (which is not to say that Nestle India should be let off the hook, if the samples are indeed contaminated at those levels). But clearly, the UP FDA had not been doing their job – lead levels in a product don't jump overnight to seven times their permissible limit – and lead typically comes from our water supply.

Wall paint, too, is a major source of lead contamination, according to research from the Centre for Science and Environment. And according to research from the Quality Council of India, a government body, 33% of over 370 samples of water from the top 26 cities of India tested positive for harmful content of lead. Ever heard of any minister for water resources being pulled up for it?

How, then, can Bachchan or Dixit or Zinta be held responsible for a faulty batch of Maggi made in UP? If someone detects a higher level of petroleum jelly in say, Lux soap, should all heroines who endorse it or have ever done so, be hauled into court? That would be quite the beauty pageant, if you are familiar with that brand's ads. If multiple car accidents take place because of a faulty design in, say, braking, is the celebrity endorsing the car supposed to have studied the product from an automobile engineering perspective?

Celebrities are invited to promote a brand for many reasons – a fit with the product, big name visibility, establishment of trust, and most often, the sex appeal factor. They are told about the product, how it sits with their profile, and benefits for both sides, usually accompanied by a nice sum of money for the endorser. But they can't be held responsible for manufacturing errors.

Certainly, celebrities have an ethical and moral responsibility not to endorse products that are detrimental to the public good, given their outsize power to influence people. For example, you won't find any film actors in a (surrogate) cigarette ad though some have done it for alcohol and many have done it for gutka.

Kangana Ranaut has won herself plaudits for refusing to do any ads for so-called 'fairness', or skin whitening, creams on the grounds that it was a clearly racist and morally questionable product.

In the Maggi case, the smart thing to do would have been to close the Maggi plant, test a few other samples from the plant and others, and recall the offending batches, even penalise the company.

But punishing brand ambassadors shows that the government is only interested in going after the low hanging fruit – in this case, hapless celebrities who are predictably clueless about the storm that has hit them – in order to make a spectacle of it and divert from the real causes of high lead content in food products. I will not even go into the MSG issue, health concerns about which haveabsolutely no scientific basis.

And once we move past the idiocy of summoning the brand ambassador for a fault in the product, we are presented with a more serious problem because, let's face it, if we really want to prosecute every public figure for "misleading advertising", shouldn't we start with our politicians? 

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/nestle-s-maggi-controversy-why-prosecuting-maggi-brand-ambassadors-like-amitabh-bachchan-is-idiotic-115060300108_1.html

 and This Times of India report!

Maggi controversy: Twitter reacts

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Actors Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta could land in trouble if advertisements for Maggi noodles featuring them are found to be misleading, says the consumer affairs ministry. Maggi brand ambassadors, including Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit, were "warned of action" by the government if their advertisements for Nestle's popular noodle product were found to be misleading. However, Amitabh Bachchan has been quoted in a report as saying that he has not received any notice from the government over endorsing Maggi noodles. He says that he will fully cooperate with the law and adds that he had stopped endorsing the instant noodles' brand two years ago. According to reports, the Bihar court has ordered the police to lodge an FIR against Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, who are the brand ambassadors of Nestle India, following a complaint filed by a lawyer alleging that he fell ill after eating Maggi. Reportedly, the court has ordered the police to file an FIR against the actors under various section of IPC (Indian Penal Code) that includes IPC 420 for cheating consumers. Also included are Section 270 for malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life and Section 273 for sale of noxious food or drink.

However, while being slapped with a legal case seems inevitable for the stars, they have also found support in a political party. Read on to know more... 

Nestle India takes Maggi noodles off shelves

India Today - ‎2 hours ago‎

Nestle India today decided to take Maggi off the shelves after a controversy erupted over its contents, prompting several states to ban the 'two-minute' noodles. Asserting that the product was "completely safe", the company in a statement on Friday said, ...

Nestle takes Maggi off the shelves, says 'will be back in markets soon'

Times of India - ‎10 hours ago‎

After Delhi, four more states — Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand — on Thursday banned the sale of Maggi noodles after concerns were raised over presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead beyond permissible levels in the ...

Nestlé Insists Maggi Noodles Are Safe But Removes Brand From Indian Shelves

TIME - ‎1 hour ago‎

Nestlé took its immensely popular instant-noodle brand Maggi off shelves across India on Thursday, amid a controversy over apparent high levels of lead found in the product. The company said in a statement that althoughMaggi is completely safe, "recent ...

Nestle withdraws Maggi noodles from stores

The Hindu - ‎5 hours ago‎

Nestle India early on Friday said it was withdrawing Maggi noodles in the country amid nation-wide scrutiny over more-than-permissible limits of lead, but continued to maintain it was safe and that it would be back on store shelves soon. "Maggi noodles are ...

More Indian States Ban the Sale of Maggi Noodles

Wall Street Journal (blog) - ‎15 hours ago‎

NEW DELHI – At least four more Indian states banned the sale of Nestlé SA's instant noodles Thursday after food-safety inspectors in New Delhi said they found dangerously-high amounts of lead in the product. Food-safety officials in the western state of ...

Maggi withdraws all noodles in India after state bans and lead scare

The Guardian - ‎4 hours ago‎

Maggi noodles are a hugely popular snack in India, where instant noodles are served to children and in roadside shacks across the country. The food scare is a reminder of Indian consumers' growing affluence and subsequent increased health awareness, ...

Maggi row: Nestle withdraws popular noodles from shelves across India

The Indian Express - ‎2 hours ago‎

Facing ban across several states in the country and a threat of nationwide ban looming large on Maggi noodles on account of more than permissible limit of lead and MSG in various samples, Nestle has decided to take the products off the shelves.

Nestle India bows down to pressure, takes Maggi off shelves

Moneycontrol.com - ‎5 hours ago‎

Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand have so far banned the sale of the two minute noodles after concerns were raised over presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead beyond permissible levels in the product.

Nestle India Pulls Maggi Noodles From Shops Amid Lead Crisis

Bloomberg - ‎5 hours ago‎

The withdrawal, the company's largest in India, will last until the current situation is clarified, Nestle India Ltd. said in a statement on Friday. The food maker also said accusations of higher than permissible levels of lead in Magginoodles were "unfounded" and ...

Trouble escalates for Maggi as four more states impose ban

The Indian Express - ‎14 hours ago‎

Before taking a decision on banning the Maggi noodles, the J-K government has already seized tens of thousands ofMaggi packets from the market. "We have seized 122376 packets of Maggi noodles from the main distributor of Nestle India in Srinagar," said ...

Nestlé India Recalls Maggi Noodles Amid Consumer Concerns

Wall Street Journal (blog) - ‎2 hours ago‎

Nestlé SA said Friday it was pulling its popular instant noodles from stores in India amid allegations they contain dangerously high levels of lead. Nestlé said its Maggi 2-Minute Noodles were safe, but it decided to recall the product to calm consumer concerns ...

Maggi noodles are safe for consumption, says Nestle Global CEO Paul Bulcke

Zee News - ‎4 hours ago‎

The Prime Minister's Office seeks report on Maggi issueholds meet the Union Health Secretary BP Sharma to discuss Maggi issue. Importers in Singapore have been ordered to withhold the sales of Nestle`s Maggi instant noodles produced in India until test ...

Centre seeks report on Maggi from states

Times of India - ‎20 hours ago‎

The Delhi government on Wednesday banned Maggi noodles for 15 days as Nestle India, the manufacturer of the popular snack, battled controversy with many more states ordering tests after an Uttar Pradesh lab reported that samples of the noodles ...

Britain takes cue from India ban, begins testing Maggi for 'high lead content'

Firstpost - ‎2 hours ago‎

After several state bans on Maggi in India, even Britain has started investigated the quality of Maggi sold across UK. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, which carried out tests on Maggi found high content of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or ...

UK takes cue, begins testing noodle brand

Times of India - ‎9 hours ago‎

In an exclusive interview to TOI, UK's Food Standards Agency has said that it has received lab reports from India ofMaggi samples and is working with the European Commission to see if packs sold in UK have high levels of lead as found in that in India.

Lead today, expect arsenic tomorrow: Nestle withdraws Maggi but it's no reason ...

Firstpost - ‎2 hours ago‎

So finally, Maggi is off the shelves of Indian stores. After five states have banned it saying that their tests on the noodle were not satisfactory and Nestle tanked substantial part of its market share in the stock exchanges, it was impossible for the company to ...

Nestle decides to take Maggi off the shelves across country after food safety scare

Hindustan Times - ‎5 hours ago‎

Manufacturer Nestle India decided to take Maggi off the shelves late on Thursday after six states, including national capital Delhi, imposed a ban on the instant noodles following a controversy over food safety fears. "The trust of our consumers and the safety of ...

Future Group bans Maggi too: The two-minute death of India's favourite noodle ...

Firstpost - ‎Jun 3, 2015‎

Things are just getting worse for Nestle India. Not only have the shares of the company a tumbled 10 percent in trade today, as the controversy over the quality of its high brand equity noodles 'Maggi' escalates, but now India'sbiggest retailer, Future Group, ...

Maggi Controversy Wipes Out Nearly Rs 10000 Crore From Nestle's Market Cap ...

NDTV - ‎14 hours ago‎

The controversy around Maggi noodles, under scrutiny for high content of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG (a taste enhancer), has led to a sharp correction in Nestle India shares. Four states - Delhi, Gujarat, J&K and Uttarakhand - have banned ...

Nestle India takes Maggi noodles off the shelves, promises to bring them back ...

Financial Express - ‎1 hour ago‎

Maggi sales have plunged in India since laboratory tests ordered by some state governments showed the noodles contained lead at levels far higher than legally allowed. The tests also detected the chemical flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, or MSG, ...

Status of ban on Maggi across India so far

IBNLive - ‎21 hours ago‎

Delhi: ​The Delhi government on Wednesday banned the sale of Maggi noodles for 15 days in the national capital and asked the company to withdraw all the stock within 15 days. Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that NestleIndia has been asked to ...