Maggi's market share falls to 35%, Yippee's share up at 33%

The share of Maggi dropped to 42% in January from a high of 77% in the year-ago month, reports a business daily.

The market share of Nestle's Maggi noodles has shrunk by almost half, according to Nielsen data. The share of Maggi dropped to 42% in January from a high of 77% in the year-ago month, reports a business daily.

ITC Foods' Sunfeast Yippee brand of instant noodles is a close second with a 33% market share, says the paper.

Others such as Nissin's Top Ramen and Cup Noodles, Ching's Secret, Wai Wai and HUL's Knorr have also seen improvement in their market share at the cost of Maggi, according to the newspaper.

Maggi was banned last year in June over allegations of excessive lead and mislabelling of monosodium glutamate (MSG). It returned to stores only in early November. 

Separately, reports indicate that the head of Nestle's Asian business is hoping to restore revenues in India within three years.

In an interview with a Swiss newspaper, Nestle's Wan Ling Martello said that all five factories that produce Maggi noodles had resumed production but not all flavors had returned to store shelves.

A complete recovery of Indian revenues by Maggi could take around three years, she said, citing experiences with similar crises elsewhere.