History of Maggi Noodles Maggi is a Nestle brand of instant noodles, soups stocks, bullion, sauces a and seasoning.

The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his fathers mill. At that time during industrial revolution in Switzerland created factory jobs for women, who were therefore left with very little time to prepare meals. Due to this growing problem Swiss Public Welfare Society asked Julius Maggi to create a vegetable food product that would be quick to prepare and easy to digest. It was the first to bring protein rich legume meal to the market, which was followed by ready made soup based on legume meal in 1886. In 1863, Julius Maggi developed a formula to add taste to meals, which later paved the way for Maggi and other easy to make food products. Apart from two minute noodles Maggi also offers a range of product. However in India it was launched in 1980s by Nestle group of companies. Maggie had merged with Nestle family in 1947. Today, Maggi is particularly well known in India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippine and Singapore for its instant Maggi noodles. (Maggi mee). History of Maggi Noodles Maggie : Maggi (pronounced [mai]) is a Nestl brand of instant soups, stocks, bouillon cubes, ketchups, sauces, seasonings and instant noodles. The original company came into existence in 1872 in Switzerland, when Julius Maggi took over his father's mill. It quickly became a pioneer of industrial food production, aiming at improving the nutritional intake of worker families. It was the first to bring protein-rich legume meal to the market, which was followed by ready-made soup based on legume meal in 1886. In 1897, Julius Maggi founded the company Maggi GmbH in the German town of Singen where it is still established today. In parts of Europe, Mexico, Malaysia, and Brunei, In German-speaking countries as well as the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland and France, "Maggi" is still synonymous with the brand's "Maggi-Wrze" (Maggi seasoning sauce), a dark, hydrolysed vegetable protein based sauce which is very similar to East Asian soy sauce without actually containing soy.[1] It was introduced in 1886, as a cheap substitute for meat extract. It has since become a well-known part of everyday culinary culture in Switzerland, Austria and especially in Germany. The bouillon cube or "Maggi cube" was introduced in 1908, which was another meat substitution product. Because chicken and beef broths are so common in the cuisines of many different countries, the company's products have a large worldwide market. In 1947, following several changes in ownership and corporate structure, Maggi's holding company merged with the Nestl company to form Nestl-Alimentana S.A., currently known in its francophone

homebase as Nestl S.A.. Today, Maggi is particularly well known in the Baltic states for its dry soups, Bangladesh, India, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Indonesia and Singapore for its instant Maggi noodles (Maggi Mee). In West Africa, Maggi cubes are used as part of the local cuisine. Throughout Latin America, Maggi products, especially bouillon cubes, are widely sold with some repackaging to reflect local terminology. In the German, Dutch and Danish languages, lovage has come to be known as "Maggi herb" (Ger. Maggikraut, Du. maggikruid or Da. maggiurt), because it tastes similar to Maggi sauce, although, paradoxically, lovage is one of the few herbs not present in the sauce.

Flavours
Maggi Noodles are available in a large assortment of different flavours. They are: Original Flavour Chicken Curry (a healthier alternative is also sold in supermarkets) Kari Letup ("Explosive" Curry) in Malaysia Laksa Lemak (discontinued) Tom yam Chicken & Corn Beef Oriental Masala Prawn Dal Sambar (whole wheat noodles) Dal Atta noodles Asam Laksa Cheese Pizza (only in Saudi Arabia and South Africa, was available for a period of time in Australia and New Zealand) Sup Tulang (bone soup) (in Malaysia) Chatpata Tomato Ruhi Dashi Koki Kapi Stronger Chicken Crispy Chicken Vegetable Atta Noodles (whole wheat noodles) Shahi Pulao (rice noodles) Chilly Chow (rice noodles) Lemon Masala (rice noodles) Mi Goreng Char Mee Mi Goreng Kicap Bawang

Mi Goreng Pluz Asli Capsica Itik (duck) Mi Udang Pulau Pinang' (was available in Malaysia) Maggi goreng sedap Boerewors (in South Africa)

Maggie Noodles : Maggi noodles is a brand of instant noodles manufactured by Nestl. The brand is popular in Australia, India, South Africa, Brazil, Nepal, New Zealand, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines. In several countries, it is also known as "maggi mee" (mee is Indonesian/Malay/Hokkien for noodles). Maggi noodles are part of the Maggi family, a Nestl brand of instant soups, stocks, and noodles. In Malaysia, there are fried noodles made from maggi noodles known as Maggi goreng. Maggi noodles recently introduced a new variety of its noodles, to cater for the health conscious like 'No MSG', 'Less Salt', and 'No Trans fat'. A wholewheat flour based noodle variation marketed by the name "Vegetable Atta Noodles" has been introduced in India (Atta flour is used in preparing most forms of wheat based breads in India) and caters to health conscious buyers wary of the refined flour used in the regular Maggi noodles. This move helps the brand in India as suburban mothers, who feed the noodles to children as an afterschool snack, are the primary customers of the brand. Recently, a line of rice noodles and whole wheat with pulses, carrots, beans, and onions has also been introduced in India. In fact, "Maggi" has become a well-known brand for instant noodles in India and Malaysia. Nestl India Ltd (NIL) offered a variety of culinary products such as instant noodles, soups, sauces and ketchups, cooking aids (seasonings), etc., under the Maggi brand (Refer to Exhibit II for Maggi's product portfolio as of mid-2006). Of these, instant noodles had been NIL's main product category in the culinary segment since the launch of Maggi 2 Minute Noodles (Maggi noodles) in 1982. Over the years, Maggi noodles became a popular snack food product in India. In mid 2008, New Zealand supermarkets introduced replacement formulations for its Beef, Oriental, and Curry flavours. A new feature is an extra sachet containing dehydrated vegetables. Maggi claims the new range contains 88% less total fat and 86% less saturated fat than the average of top-three (unnamed) 2-minute-noodle competitors. The new Maggi range also has considerably lower fat than its own previous formulation. However, the salt content has been increased by 31 percent. Consumers have not reacted well to the new formulations, complaining that they want the original chicken flavour back.[citation needed] In the Philippines, packs of Maggi noodles were recalled by Nestle Philippines after it was said to be contaminated with salmonella. Maggi noodles also contain the additives E150d and E627.[1] E150d is sometimes made from maize. [2] Claimed to be "2 minute noodles", The Maggi noodle cake and seasoning is added into boiling water for two minutes and it is ready for consumption. Egg, seaweed, boiled vegetables or lemon can also be added to the noodles for a better flavour.

Has Maggi finally got competition?

2010 saw a sudden spurt in this instant noodles category with two major FMCG players, GSK and ITC venturing in. Besides, existing competitors are also trying for a rebound.
Circa 1982. All it took was two minutes to woo the hungry souls. The country had just been introduced to a revolutionary product, which took over hundreds of households by their hunger pangs, offering them an instant solution. Maggi Instant Noodles had entered the kitchens of India, the first one of its kind to do so. It was not only a new brand, but also a new food product for many Indians. It's been 28 years since then, and Indian consumers have continued to be loyal to the brand. The reason is because Maggi has not had much competition. Even though it has been nearly three decades, the brand did not face any serious competition. Instead, in all these years, Maggi has grown exponentially to become a generic brand, and has single-handedly taken the instant noodles category from being almost non-existent, to a Rs 1,200 crore one, of which it currently has, as per industry estimates, a 70 per cent share, approximately. The only competition Maggi had until now was from the Japan-based Nissin Group's Top Ramen, and the Nepal based CG Foods' Wai-Wai Noodles. Wai-Wai, till recently, was restricted to the eastern market of West Bengal and Sikkim, where it controlled 70 per cent of the market. Its strategy was to first build-up the distribution network, which it successfully did - the brand was available on the shelves of super stores, as much as in the local Kirana stores. It was then that they started building the brand. Top Ramen, on the other hand, was aggressive in its marketing - it even roped in Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador, but failed to get its distribution network in place. The brand had entered into a distribution tie-up with Marico, the owners of Saffola and Parachute. However, the year 2010 saw a sudden spurt in this category. Wai-Wai is now working towards a national presence. The company, which had manufacturing units in Assam and Sikkim, recently set up a new plant in Rudrapur, in Uttaranchal, and is also looking at acquiring a FMCG company in the South/ West. Top Ramen also has moved to set up its own distribution network, besides hiring a new agency Dentsu, to give it a fresh marketing push. The brand plans to launch itself with a new look and a new taste. Two major FMCG players, GSK and ITC, decided to venture into the market, almost 20 years after Nissin Group's Top Ramen had decided to try its luck. GSK launched Foodles, while ITC launched Sunfeast Yippee. Unilever, too, tried to create some competition with Knorr Soupy Noodles. Instant Gains : One reason why we see a spurt in this category is that it is still growing at the rate of 23 per cent. Prashant Pandey, general manager - marketing, GSK, says, "While it is true that consumers, both in the urban and semi-urban markets are aware of instant noodles, the markets in the hinterland and interiors are yet to be tapped. This provides a huge scope for growth. The category is yet to penetrate deeper into the deepest regions of this country," he says. The other reason that experts attribute to the growth is that the profit margins in the instant noodles category are very high. This was a lucrative proposition for companies such as GSK and ITC, which were looking to diversify into other categories.

It is because of Maggi that instant noodles have become a part of the food habit of Indian homes. Maggi has moved from being a 7 pm-snack, to being a part of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, of the average Indian household. Says Sunil Alagh, chairman, SKA Advisors, "It is all thanks to Nestle, which has done the initial and crucial job of establishing the instant noodles category in the consumer's mindset." According to Alagh the market is ripe. "It's the perfect time for newer players to enter the category. They just need to launch a good tasty product, and work on its distribution," says Alagh.

Tasting Times How well will the new brands be received? Brand consultant Ramanujam Sridhar, says, "The new entrants will perform well in areas where the brand equity of the parent company, or the brand itself is very high. For example, the Horlicks brand is very strong in the Tamil Nadu market, and there are chances that Foodles will do well in this market where it was first launched." Industry observers like independent consultant Cajetan Vaz and Prateek Srivastava, president, South, Ogilvy India (he was in-charge of Sunfeast Yippee campaign), feel that while there will be a place for many players in a growing category, the new entrants will have to find a differentiating factor, and build the concept through advertising and marketing. However, the new players still have a long way to go, especially when MAGGI continues to innovate itself with new product variations, be it Maggi Vegetable Atta Noodles, Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles, or several other variants.