Nestle, which is still reeling from the controversy over its Maggi noodle recall in India, has named Suresh Narayanan as its new managing director in the country.
Narayanan, chairman and CEO of Nestle's Philippines arm, is slated to take control of Nestle India next month. He replaces Etienne Benet, who is being transferred back to the group's head office in Switzerland.
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A spokesperson for Nestle India declined to reveal what Benet's new position will be. The spokesperson did, however, confirm Narayanan is viewed as better-positioned to rejuvenate Nestle's reputation in India."Nestle India is facing an extraordinary situation which is [why] we have brought in Suresh Narayanan who can reinvigorate the efforts to resolve this crisis. One of the strengths of Nestle is our pool of talented leaders, like Suresh, whom we can call upon in times like this."
Nestle issued a recall of its Maggi branded noodles last month after Indian food safety regulators suggested the product contained elevated levels of lead. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India also claimed the product contained the ingredient MSG when Nestle's packaging stated "no added MSG".
Nestle maintains it does not add MSG to Maggi noodles produced in India and insists its product does not contain levels of lead beyond those allowed under Indian regulations.
The company and the FSSAI are battling it out in India's High Court, where the watchdog has argued Nestle failed to respond quickly enough to food safety concerns. Nestle has questioned the validity of the FSSAI's testing methods. Nestle's own product testing – as well as subsequent inspection from food safety authorities in markets such as Canada, the UK and Singapore – found Maggi noodles manufactured in India contained permissible levels of lead.
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By GlobalDataNestle, meanwhile, confirmed there will be some disruption to some pasta products marketed under its Maggi brand due to packaging modifications that will see the company remove the statement "no added MSG".
"Maggi Pazzta has not been withdrawn, though there is a disruption in supply since we are modifying the packaging. While we do not add MSG to the Maggi Pazzta, as is stated on the label, some ingredients may contain glutamate naturally, and to avoid confusion for consumers we have decided to remove the specific mention on ‘No Added MSG’ from the label. There is no change in the product," a spokesperson said.
