NEW DELHI: Delhi government on Wednesday banned sales of Maggi noodles, the brand from Swiss foods major Nestle, from its stores after it found lead and monosodium glutamate in the eatable beyond permissible limit.
Ten out of 13 samples tested for lead content in the popular food item were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits.
According to Times Now, the sale will be banned in all Delhi government stores including Kendriya Bhandar.
“This falls under the category of misbranding,” Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain had said. He added the government has decided to file a case against Nestle for selling unsafe product and fine it for misbranding Maggi noodles. Sources said Nestle officials will be summoned by the Delhi Government for explanation. When TOI tried to contact Nestle officials, their phones went unanswered.
Reports also suggest that taking cue from other states West Bengal has also sent the samples for testing.
At least 10 Indian states have either ordered the withdrawal of Maggi noodles from shops or testing of noodle samples, prior to taking action against the manufacturer, Nestle India Ltd.
Maggi sales have plunged in India since laboratory tests showed the noodles contained lead and the chemical flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, or MSG, at levels higher than the legal minimum.
The brand from Swiss foods major Nestle, which is synonymous with noodles in India, has therefore also witnessed a severe dent in its popularity and image. Maggi, which clocks around Rs 1500 crore annually, contributes a significant portion of Nestle’s total business in India.
Maggi, the two-minute gastronomical delight of children, flew off the shelves for the wrong reason on Tuesday. State governments from Delhi to Kerala, and from Tamil Nadu to Haryana, Maharashtra and West Bengal, deployed officials to randomly collect Maggi samples of different batches and dates for testing the safety of its content
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain had said, “Last week, we lifted 13 samples of Maggi for testing following media reports of these being unsafe for consumption. We found the masala samples, tastemakers of at least 10 such packets, had lead content beyond the prescribed limit of 2.50pm.” Jain also said five samples of masala were found containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) without proper label declaration.
A senior Delhi health official said all existing stocks of Maggi will have to be removed from the market immediately since 80% of samples tested were found to be unfit for human consumption.
