NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR:The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has refuted the claims made by Nestle saying that reports from Delhi and Kerala on Maggi are absolutely authentic and that the company must recall the batches of products which failed the test.
However, the company, citing extensive testing, had claimed that there was no excess lead in Maggi noodles. “We have also tested samples from almost 1,000 batches at our own laboratory which is accredited by the authorities. All the results of these internal and external tests show that lead levels are well within the limits specified by food regulations and that MAGGI Noodles are safe to eat,” the company said in its statement.
However, FSSAI chief Yudhvir Singh Malik pitched for self-compliance by the company adding that after reports of samples from Delhi and Kerala, the product should have been withdrawn as per the established norms. “The law states that as soon as it comes to the notice of manufacturer that there is something wrong with the product, he is supposed to take recourse to recalling and withdrawing it,” Malik said.
The FSSAI chief also indicated that a decision by the regulator is likely in the next two- three days after getting some more reports from a few more states testing the samples. “We received reports from Delhi and Kerala, we have also received reports from Goa which were found to be inappropriate. The reports from Delhi and Kerala are absolutely authentic. Two other states have sent us reports but they have been requested to send us proper reports again. This might take two or three days more,” Malik said.
Banned it
After Delhi, four more states -- Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand -- on Thursday banned the sale of Maggi noodles.Delhi had on Wednesday banned sale of the food item for 15 days
J&K became the fifth state in the country to ban the sale of Maggi noodles following reports that it contain lead content above permissible limits and Mono-Sodium Glutamate (MSG).
“All the District Magistrates in J&K have been asked to impose a complete ban on the sale of Maggi in the state,” state Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution Minister Zulfkar Ali Choudhary said. Nestle India, which manufactures Maggi, has been directed to withdraw all the stocks from shops in the state, he said.
The ban will remain in force for a month. In Jammu alone, 1,27,010 Maggi packets were seized by the officials. And about 3,200 boxes of Maggi packets have been seized so far in the state.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation remained tight-lipped over the outcome of tests conducted on Maggi.