India Sues Nestlé For $100 Million After Lead Found In Noodles

In an unprecedented move, India is seeking colossal damages from Nestlé following a massive food safety scandal.

Laboratory tests found unsafe levels of lead in Maggi Noodles, a popular brand of instant noodles sold across the country. The tests also detected MSG, which contradicts the brand's message of "No Added MSG."

India's food safety regulators declared the salty snack "unsafe and hazardous for human consumption," and shopkeepers yanked the bright yellow packets from the shelves in June.

The Indian government filed a class-action suit against Nestlé India for unfair trade practices and the sale of defective goods. Reuters reports that this is the first time India has gone after a foreign corporation to avenge customers.

Nestlé said in a statement that it is "disappointed" by the suit. The company claims MSG naturally occurs in wheat flour, and that's why the noodles tested positive for the flavoring. According to the statement, Maggi noodles have since passed stringent food safety tests both in India and abroad.