BENGALURU: Nestles’s Maggi Noodles fiasco sent an alarm to all the food companies across the country. ET reports that Maggi’s sales have plunged by 60 to 70 percent in the past two weeks. And the product is currently banned in Kerala.
Clearly if this could happen to Maggi, it could happen to any company. Therefore companies like PepsiCo which makes aerated drinks and Kurkure snacks have geared up to face the Food Safety and Drugs Administration’s (FDA’s) check on them.
All the companies have been cautiously watching the events unfold with Nestle and are actively exchanging notes with each other on how to cope with the possible mishaps again. Since food safety has come into the center stage again CEOs of the food companies are now engaging themselves with newer methods for market research and better ways of communication with the consumers.
The CEO of a multinational food giant told ET on condition of anonymity, "You never know which food inspector will come next and examine our products in which part of the country. We have to be best prepared for something like this." Such is the panic in the industry.
Mayank Shah, group product manager of Parle Products, stated to ET that the Maggi episode served as a warning for all food makers. He also said, "With new guidelines on food safety expected, we are planning to engage with consumers a lot more and talk to them consistently through ads and declarations, instead of waiting for something like this to happen. It's critical to keep communication with key stakeholders constant and transparent."
Companies are bound to take the safety issues extremely seriously as the previous food safety row has virtually dropped the sales of fizzy drinks in India by almost 70-80 percent. Companies which expressed their efforts towards delivery of food safety are Yum Brands, which own Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Parle Products and PepsiCo.
Also Read: Nestle India Tests Maggi Samples, Says Lead Within Safe Limits
Maggi Samples Being Tested, Report In 2-3 Days; Stars Endorsing May Face Action: Govt
