Food lovers in city yet to come out of Maggi tangle

Anupam Bhagria

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 7

In the wake of one-year ban on Maggi in the state, it has gone off the shelves at department stores in the city. Though noodles of various other brands are very much available in the market, those “addicted” to Maggi are not ready to pacify their taste buds with any other brand.

During a visit to shops and department stores situated across the city, it was observed that the Maggi noodles had disappeared from the shelves. The noodles of other brands such as Yipee Masala, Yipee Chinese, Top Ramen Curry, Knorr Soupy Noodles, Knorr Chinese Schezwan, Veg Hakka (Chinese Noodles), Original Hakka Chinese Noodles were there.

Shopkeepers said the sale of other noodle brands remained unaffected. A few shopkeepers said a few customers were still demanding the Maggy noodles while the others said they were scared of consuming any of the noodle brands.

A few customers hoarded Maggi in bulk after the ban on the popular brand was announced in the state. Last night, one of the shopkeepers on the Ferozepur road, said: “Many parents are buying large number of packets of Maggi noodles as their children are addicted to it. Since Maggi will be off shelves, people are buying them in bulk.”

During a visit to the Kipps department store, Sarabha Nagar, today, HS Bawa, one of the partners of the store, said: “There is a general scare among consumers about noodles. The sale of Maggi is closed. However, the sale of the other brands is yet to pick up. People don’t ask for other brands.”

Another shopkeeper said: “We finished the Maggi stock by distributing it among our salesmen on the very day when the Maggi controversy started.”

Devraj Gupta, owner of Gupta Karyana Store at Ghumar Mandi, said: “We are not selling the Maggi noodles yet a few customers ask for these. The demand of other brands of noodles remains unaffected.”

There is a general scare about all types of noodle now. Gurdip Singh of Narula Department Store at Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar said: “People are scared of buying noodles now. Maggi is not being sold. But The sale of other brands is yet to pick up.”

However, the sale of the Yipee noodles has picked up a little. Subodh, a salesman at Mani Ram Balwant Rai Department Store, near Kailash Chowk, said: “There is a marginal increase in the sale of Yipee noodles. However, the sale of other noodles remains the same.”

The Maggi cup noodles were available at a shop When asked why these have not been removed, one of the salemen said: “I forgot to remove these. It did not strike to my mind.”

Maggi messages on social media sites have satirical flavour

A message reads: “Patanjali Maggi: with zero per cent fat, transfat and fibre (seesa rahit) totally prepared with wheat flour” (No brand such as “Patanjali Maggi” exists. It is only a message.) 

A message making a satire on the digestive system in Indians says: “When consuming “bhatoore” and “samose” fried in overburnt oil, golgappa water prepared with suphuric acid, dishes prepared with chicken afflicted with bird flu, tea prepared by boiling same used tea, milk adulterated with detergent powder, cut fruit selling on dusty roads, vegetables sold near drains, unsafe water, chapatis prepared by staff having skin problems at dhabas, jalebis soaked in “chashani” full of mosquitoes and sweets of artificial dry fruits cannot affect the digestive system of Indians, how can lead found in Maggi harm them?