New Delhi : India’s food safety regulator on Friday said it has found 9 variants of Nestle’s Maggi noodles ‘unsafe and hazardous’ for human consumption and has asked the company to stop their production, import and sale with immediate effect.
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) also said that Nestle launched Maggi Oats Masala Noodles without any product approval and undertaking risk, safety assessment.
Nestle has been under fire over Maggi which has been under country-wide scrutiny for high lead content and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer.
Nestle SA’s global CEO Paul Bulcke on Friday defended the company’s instant noodles brand saying it is safe for consumption in India and that it maintains the same standards of quality all over the world.
“Maggi noodles were withdrawn from the market due to confusion as consumer trust was shaken. Growing concerns about the product has led to that confusion,” Bulcke told reporters in Mumbai.
Nestle India took Maggi off the shelves late on Thursday after six states, including national capital Delhi, imposed a ban on the instant noodles following a controversy over food safety fears.
“We do not add MSG in Maggi noodles. We have been carrying tests on Maggi noodles on multiple batches. All results that came out indicate that Maggi noodles are safe for consumption,” said Bulcke.
“Product quality and safety is of paramount priority to us. With our consumers in mind, we shall work with the authorities to clear this situation out,” he added.
On Thursday, Delhi, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand cracked the whip against the popular ‘two-minute’ noodles that is widely consumed across the country and contributes over a quarter to Nestle India’s revenues. At least 10 other states have sent samples of Maggi noodles for tests amid a widespread panic.
The governments in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar too imposed a ban on the sale of Maggi noodles in the state on Friday.
MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that MSG was found in the test samples of Maggi sent to an Indore laboratory a few days back.
Talking to the media, Chouhan said the ban in the state would continue till it was made clear that Maggi is not harmful. He said the company used MSG in the food without disclosing and it was enough reason for imposing a ban on its sale.
Health experts say excessive intake of lead can cause damage to the kidneys, bones and nervous system and is particularly harmful to children and can cause learning disorders. MSG, on the other hand, can damage the nervous system with long-term use.
Bureau Report
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