Nestle fined for selling 'sub-standard' Maggi in UP

Officials in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district imposed a hefty fine on Nestle, the makers of Maggi, after the product was found to be sub-standard.

The Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Shahjahanpur has imposed a fine of Rs 45 lakh on Nestle while three distributors were fined Rs 17 lakh.

A source said that the District Food Department had collected Maggi samples from seven places in the district on different dates.

"The products were found to be sub-standard," a senior official said. The officials said that the sample had been tested in the government laboratory.

The department had filed a complaint with the ADM who heard the parties concerned and pronounced the order.

"Since the product in question is quite popular among children, no compromise with quality can be allowed...any violation of the standard must be sternly punished," the official said.

In 2016, samples of Maggi were found to be sub-standard after lab tests in Barabanki district.

The company had rejected the charges. The lab tests had then found that the ash content was higher than the permissible limit.