Murrad's Drops Milo and Cerelac Names After Nestlé Legal Notice in Lahore

Lahore dessert brand Murrad's is dropping the Nestlé brand names Milo and Cerelac from its products after Nestlé sent it a legal notice. Founder Murrad Gillani says his Milo Malt Melt is now "completely localised" with his own malt powder, will get a new name within two to three days, and that his Cerelac Cookie and Milo Cookie are being replaced with new flavours.

The dispute became public this week. A legal notice dated 23 September 2026 was sent on behalf of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., the Swiss company that owns the Milo and Cerelac trademarks. Murrad's lawyers replied on 29 September, and Murrad Gillani then posted the reply and his decision on his Instagram account.

We read the four-page reply and his posts as he shared them. We have not seen Nestlé's notice itself, so what it says is given here only as the reply describes it. Nestlé had not made a public statement that we could find when we checked on 2 October.

What Murrad's is changing, in his own words

Murrad Gillani says he will stop using Nestlé ingredients and Nestlé product names across his range within two to three days, even if Nestlé now lets him keep them. These are the three changes he announced.

"We still haven't heard back from them," he wrote. He said his mind was made up: "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 to 3 days, you'll see a new name on the box too."

He added that "within the next 2 to 3 days, every ingredient from their range will be removed from our kitchen." A cartoon he posted shows the brand's cat character holding a box marked "Moto Malt Melt". He has not formally confirmed that as the new name, so we treat it as a likely name only.

What Nestlé's legal notice said, according to the reply

The notice was sent on behalf of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., the company that registers Nestlé's trademarks worldwide. Murrad's lawyers, FGE Ebrahim Hosain, summarise its main points in their reply.

• It says Murrad's products "recently came to the knowledge" of Nestlé.
• It relies on Nestlé's registered trademarks for Milo and Cerelac.
• Paragraph 14 of the notice says Murrad's could pass off its goods as Nestlé's "in the future", according to the reply.
• Its demands, the reply says, would mean stopping the names and, in effect, destroying stock.

We could not read the notice itself or any Nestlé statement. This is Murrad's account of what Nestlé wrote, through its lawyers.

Murrad's reply: Nestlé knew for 15 months

The reply, dated 29 September 2026 and signed by Rida Hosain, Advocate High Court, rejects the notice. Its main arguments are these.

1. Nestlé knew. The reply says Murrad Gillani met Nestlé's team at its Lahore headquarters on 23 June 2025, at about 12:30 pm, and showed them the planned products, names and packaging, using Milo as an ingredient.
2. Nestlé raised no objection. According to the reply, Nestlé's representatives encouraged him, a representative visited his kitchen, and the two sides kept in touch on WhatsApp.
3. Nestlé supplied the Milo. The reply says Nestlé referred him to its official distributor, M/S Asif Brothers, which supplied Milo at a subsidised rate, with invoices kept.
4. The names only describe the ingredient. It argues that "Cerelac Cookie" and "Milo Cookie" tell buyers what is inside, the same way bakeries sell desserts named after Nutella, Oreo or Lotus Biscoff.
5. Nothing looks like Nestlé. Every box carries the Murrad's name and logo, with no Nestlé mark, and Milo Malt Melt comes in a green take-away box with Murrad's own cartoon cat.

The reply asks Nestlé to withdraw the notice, says any case would be "vigorously defended", and reserves the right to seek costs and damages. It also says Murrad's remains open to meeting Nestlé to settle "any genuine concern amicably".

Why a brand name on a menu can draw a legal notice

Milo and Cerelac are registered trademarks. A trademark owner can object when another business uses its name in a way it believes could make buyers think the product is its own, or is linked to it. That is called passing off.

The other side of the argument is what lawyers call descriptive use: naming an ingredient so customers know what they are buying. The reply leans on this, saying Milo cakes and Cerelac milkshakes are sold by many bakeries and cafes. Which view wins depends on the facts, and no court has ruled here. The dispute has not gone to court as far as either side has said publicly.

For a small business, the cheaper route is often the one Murrad's has now taken: rename and reformulate rather than fight. That is a business decision, not a finding that either side is right.

What this means for Murrad's customers

• Over the next few days, boxes will change name and some cookies will be replaced.
• The malt dessert will be made with Murrad's own malt powder instead of Milo, so the taste may change slightly.
• Order through Murrad's own channels to see the current menu, as the brand says the change will happen within two to three days.

Small food businesses that sell desserts named after branded ingredients can learn from this. Naming a dessert after its taste rather than another company's trademark avoids this kind of notice, and registering your own trademark in Pakistan protects your brand name in turn. The first legal step for a small food brand is usually to register as a sole proprietor with FBR.

Common questions

Why did Murrad's drop Milo and Cerelac?

Nestlé's trademark owner sent Murrad's a legal notice dated 23 September 2026 over the use of the Milo and Cerelac names. Murrad Gillani says he has decided to stop using Nestlé ingredients and names even if Nestlé later allows it.

What is the new name of Milo Malt Melt?

Murrad Gillani says a new name will appear on the box within two to three days. A cartoon he posted shows "Moto Malt Melt", but he has not formally confirmed it.

Did Nestlé take Murrad's to court?

No court case has been made public. Nestlé sent a legal notice, and Murrad's lawyers replied on 29 September 2026 asking Nestlé to withdraw it.

Did Nestlé know about Murrad's products before?

According to Murrad's lawyers, yes. Their reply says he met Nestlé's team in Lahore on 23 June 2025 and that Nestlé's distributor supplied him Milo for more than 15 months. Nestlé has not given its side publicly.

What has Nestlé said?

We found no public statement from Nestlé Pakistan as of 2 October 2026. Its position is known only through Murrad's lawyers' description of the notice.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 2 October 2026. We read the four-page reply from FGE Ebrahim Hosain dated 29 September 2026, and Murrad Gillani's Instagram posts and stories about the decision, as shared publicly by him. We did not see Nestlé's legal notice of 23 September 2026; its contents are given only as the reply describes them. The claims about the June 2025 meeting, the distributor and the invoices are Murrad's side, through his lawyers, and Nestlé has not responded publicly. We will publish Nestlé's response as an update if it gives one.