Pakistani entrepreneur Murrad Gillani ditches Nestlé ingredients after legal dispute

Syed Murrad Gillani, known for founding dessert and fast-food brands including Dezāto, Dumbo Donuts, and FRIED, said his company would stop using Nestlé products as ingredients and discontinue product names containing “Milo” and “Cerelac”, following a legal dispute with Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, over the use of its trademarks.

In a post on Instagram, Gillani said the company had developed its own malt powder, with ‘MOTO MALT MELT’ now fully localised. He said the business would also replace its ‘CERELAC COOKIE’ and ‘MILO COOKIE’ products.

“We still haven’t heard back from them.

“But I’ve made my decision.

“Even if they come back tomorrow and tell us we can continue using the ingredient name,

“we won’t.

“We’ve already developed our own malt powder. In the next 2-3 days, you’ll see a new name on the box too.

“MOTO MALT MELT is now completely localised.

“Our malt. Our formulation. Our recipe. No dependency on a giant corporation.

“No one gets to hold our product hostage again.”

The decision follows a legal notice issued by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. on September 23, which Gillani has rejected through his lawyers.

In a reply dated September 29, lawyers representing Gillani, who trades as Murrads.pk, denied Nestlé’s allegations and said the company had been aware of his products for over a year.

“Your client has been fully aware, for well over a year, of our client’s products, their names, logo, packaging and of the fact that MILO products manufactured by your client would be used as ingredients in them. Your client was informed of our client’s products and was shown the proposed concept. It was made clear to your client that the products were based on our client’s own recipe, with MILO being used merely as one of the ingredients.

Your client raised no objection, and thereafter facilitated our client’s procurement of the very Nestlé products which are now said to form the basis of the alleged infringement,” read the response from lawyers representing Gillani, shared on social media.

The response claims Gillani met Nestlé representatives at the company’s headquarters in Lahore on June 23, 2025, where he disclosed his intention to produce baked products using MILO as an ingredient and showed representatives the proposed presentation of the products.

According to the legal response, Nestlé representatives did not object and instead encouraged Gillani to proceed.

“Moreover, a representative of Nestlé also visited our client’s kitchen and saw the entire production.

“Your client’s representatives raised no objection. On the contrary, they were encouraging and advised our Client that he should go ahead with the products,” the response claimed.

Gillani’s lawyers further argued that the words “Cerelac” and “Milo” appeared on Murrads’ products solely to identify the flavour and ingredients used, rather than to suggest that the products were manufactured, sponsored or endorsed by Nestlé.

“The words CERELAC and MILO communicate to consumers the ingredient incorporated into the relevant baked product and do not identify Nestlé as the manufacturer or source of the finished baked product.”

They also said Murrads products were sold under its own brand and logo and did not reproduce Nestlé’s packaging, logos or trade dress.

The response further argues that Nestlé had suffered and could suffer no loss because Murrads’ products used Nestlé products as ingredients and therefore contributed to its sales.

“Our client’s business adds to your client’s sales. It does not divert a single sale from your client,” claimed the response.

In a separate response, Gillani said the business would nevertheless remove Nestlé products entirely from its operations.

“CERELAC COOKIE and MILO COOKIE are leaving too.

“They’ll be replaced with two completely new flavours that I intend to make just as iconic.

“We’re done being pushovers for bigger brands.

“If they thought taking away an ingredient name would take away what made our products special, they misunderstood where the talent was coming from.

“It was never in their powder. It was in our kitchen.

“Within the next 2-3 days, every ingredient from their range will be removed from our kitchen.

“No dependency. No leverage over us. No looking back.

“We’ll build it ourselves.

“And we’ll be better off for it.”