Maggi- A Journey of 2 Minutes to 25 Years

TechnoparkToday.com>> So, Maggi has been banned in the country!! After a lot of chaos in the last few weeks many food outlets have taken it down creating an outcry among thousands of loyal supporters of these slurpy noodles. Yes, even I am a self confessed Maggi Fan and so is every other person who saw their childhood blossoming in the 90s. So what it is no more a “Meri gharwali Maggi” and has turned into Meri Lead wali Maggi”? It permeated into Indian minds as an object of emotional attachment since last 25 years.

The comfort food for every other hostler, an instant pacifier of a cranky kid, the go-to dinner on those lazy-lonely nights, the party starter of every gang of friends. Ah! Banning it would be like snatching a candy from a kid’s hand. Honestly the very fact that it is unhealthy doesn’t seem to bother us.

My very first reaction on Maggi ban was the same as everyone- What about the cigarettes? Why no one is behind the Tobacco bearing mouth fresheners, why everybody forgot pesticides containing frizzy drinks? Why there is no ban on alcohol? And last but not the least why other companies selling the similar instant noodles are not being questioned? Why just Maggi? Is it just me or anyone else smells a conspiracy against Nestle?

I understand that high levels of MSG has many health hazards especially on kids as it leads to brain damage, has carcinogenic effects, can cause heart ailments and so does  the mammoth number of junk food and Chinese stuff that we gulp down on daily basis. From the genetically modified vegetables to taste enhancers in those cheese burst Pizzas you savour, everything is dangerous. It is practically impossible to manually go and test the content of each and every food item in the country and pass judgements on them. Basically the Maggi ban is too little too late.

Ours is an emotional country. Food being a mighty source of smiles, a Maggi ban does leave us little shaken. This was not the case when beef was banned. We all have our own little memories associated with these little yellow shiny packets of delight. I agree that defending Maggi by questioning the worth of Cigarettes and Tobacco in ridiculous in a certain way. But being a loyal Fan of Maggi I wish that Nestle comes out clean from all the accusations against them. It is indeed very appalling to see their stoic silence even now when the country has banned the products.

Why do they have to be the scapegoat and suffer in silence?  Remember back in 2003 when worms were found in Dairy Milk chocolates, Cadbury’s strategy was to retaliate by showcasing ad campaigns featuring Amitabh Bachan telling us that Dairy Milk would henceforth be available in plastic coverings and hence  safe to consume, and rest is history.

Cadbury lived on and escaped all the ban threats. The same theory goes with Pepsico when they were on the verge of being banned for pesticide blame, the beverage giant responded by introducing special seals that assured consumers of the product’s safety. They got Aamir Khan into the picture to inform the customers that the cold drink is pesticide free and regained the faith.

Hence I wish the same for Maggi too to bounce back using some PR strategies and promise for healthier noodles this time, aligning with the permissible levels of threatening ingredients. It would be sheer betrayal of nostalgia if Maggi doesn’t come back to fill our tummies, to pacify those midnight hunger pangs, to bring smiles in just 2 minutes. A journey of 2 minutes to 25 years shouldn’t end like this!!!

Aparna Nair