‘Maggi’- the very thing that has fascinated almost every Indian child since childhood. Why just children, almost every adult too. Prior to this brewing controversy, could we ever have had imagined our lives without this essential ‘two-minute’ noodles?
The ban on Maggi has replaced smiles with questions and sorrows. And for big-shots like Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachhan and Preity Zinta, there’s bad news, but there’s good news too.
Going with the bad stuff first, regardless of what you may think, Delhi has also banned the sale of the foodstuff as it investigated charges summing up to a conclusion that it contains huge quantities of lead, and further stating that these three celebrities who endorsed the product should be held responsible for misleading or making false claims.
Talking about set of rules, back in 2008, the US Federal Trade Commission proposed a fresh set of “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. One essential part of that in the case of any misleading or false advertisement, it should not just be the advertiser who would be liable, but also any celebrity endorser who may have been involved.
But, interestingly, the Federal Trade Commission also acknowledged that “well-known persons can appear in advertising without being deemed endorsers” of a product.
Which also means that we need to examine the difference between being “a paid actor” and being an “endorser”.
What official terms and sources state that according to the Federal Trade Commission, endorsement is “any advertising message (including verbal statements, demonstrations or depictions of the name, signature, likeness or other identifying personal characteristics of an individual or the name or seal of an organisation) that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions, beliefs, findings or experiences of a party other than the sponsoring advertiser”. There is, therefore, a thin – but very significant – line demarcating the two: acting, and endorsing.
Well, that is how the US Federal Trade Commission looks at the issue in its quest to protect the consumer’s interests. And it seems quite legit and fair. So that certainly accounts for good news on the part of these three celebrities who have endorsed the product.
Talking about the samples collected from various parts and examined, samples from “Maharashtra and Goa” have been termed to be “safe”, meaning that they still could be consumed in these parts. However, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have joined the other states that have banned Maggi, following the results that termed it unsafe for consumption.
In the meantime, Nestle, on Friday, announced that it will pull Maggi off from shelves as the controversy has shaken the trust consumers had and has led to the distress. He said they will be back once the issues are resolved. But currently, Maggi seems to have a dark future, at least for some months ahead.
With additional inputs from Suyash Karangutkar.
Tags: Maggi Maggi ban Maggi controversy
