Nestle to face more action over Maggi?

Fast Moving Consumer Goods major Nestle may face more action by the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration, which is testing more batches of Maggi after ordering recall of a batch of about 2 lakh packs of the instant noodles due to higher than permitted levels of lead and a food additive.

The UP FDA last month asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of Maggi noodles "which were manufactured in February 2014" after it found high levels of added monosodium glutamate, a taste enhancer, in the noodles and lead beyond permissible limits.

"As a precautionary measure, the UP FDA has picked up samples of three-four more batches in April this year for testing after the previous report came. The lab test results of those batches are still awaited," Barbanki District Food Officer V K Pandey told PTI. He said the earlier tests by the UP FDA found that the levels of the chemicals were higher than permitted.

What the company had claimed about the absence of MSG in Maggi has found to be incorrect in the test, Pandey said.

On lead content, he said, "It has been established in the report that it is beyond the tolerance level of 2.5 parts per million. It is 17.2 ppm."

He said it was on the basis of the test report that Maggi was declared "unsafe and injurious to health".

"We have asked Nestle 10-15 days back to recall all the Maggi noodles of that particular batch," UP FDA Additional Commissioner (Admin) Ram Araj Maurya said.

When contacted, Nestle India said on April 30, 2015, local authorities in Lucknow asked it to recall one batch of Maggi noodles, around two lakh packs, "which were manufactured in February 2014 and had already reached the 'Best Before date' in November 2014."

Disputing the UP FDA claim, Nestle India said, "The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities."

It further added, "We are aware of reports that tests by the local authorities have detected monosodium glutamate in a sample of Maggi noodles and that they are continuing their investigation. We have submitted product samples to an independent accredited laboratory and will share the results with the authorities."