Response from Nestlé over KitKat quality, arrest warrant

Nestlé Bangladesh has issued a statement following the issuance of arrest warrants against its Managing Director and a senior Public Affairs official, saying the allegations are unfounded and based on standards that do not legally apply to KitKat chocolate-coated wafers.

According to the company, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has no established standard for chocolate-coated wafers, including products like KitKat. Nestlé said BSTI itself confirmed this in writing, noting that although a draft standard has been prepared, it will only become enforceable once published in the official Gazette.

Nestlé also clarified that in the absence of a BSTI standard for an imported food item, Customs releases products based on a test clearance report from the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR). The company said its imported KitKat batches received BCSIR clearance confirming compliance with relevant food safety parameters under Article 23(24) of the Import Policy Order 2021–2024.

Nestlé added that no authority made official contact with the company before legal action was taken. When an official did approach its distributor, all documents – including BSTI correspondence and BCSIR test results – were provided. Despite this, a case was lodged, and a warrant was issued on November 24, 2025 against two senior company officers.

The company further stated that independent laboratory tests conducted in India and Dubai on samples from the same KitKat batch found that the “acidity of extracted fat” parameter – central to the allegation – would fall within acceptable limits even if the BSTI standard were applicable.

Nestlé Bangladesh said it is cooperating with authorities and reaffirmed that its products meet all food safety requirements currently enforceable in the country.