Just in: Two minutes of hope for Maggi lovers is dashed as the Bombay High Court refuses to stay the ban. In other words, the ban on Maggi noodles will continue.


Nestle India Ltd on Thursday filed a case in the Bombay high court for a review of orders passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banning the sale, production and distribution of Maggi noodles.


Nestle told the Bombay High Court that the ban on Maggi by the food safety regulator was arbitrary. Nestle said that the samples found with lead were past the expiry date and were open.  Nestle has explained that trace amounts of lead are present in the atmosphere and in the soil around the world due to the use of fertilisers and pest control and can get into food products.


Nestle has accused India's food regulators of rushing to judgement on Maggi noodles and ordering its withdrawal for containing excessive lead without fulfilling all the requirements stipulated under the law in such circumstances.


Nestle told the HC that the products were not sub-standard and they had built a reputation for nutritious and healthy food. Nestle tells the court that it was not thrusting a bad product on a third world country.

All to naught it seems.