Maharashtra FDA to move SC on Maggi ban

Around 20 samples were tested, some of them were found to be containing high lead

The Maharashtra Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will soon file a petition in the Supreme Court to continue the ban on Maggi noodles.

An FDA official, who is involved in drafting the petition, told Business Standard : “The government is clear the ban should not be revoked.

FDA will contest Nestle India's claim that it acted arbitrarily and denied natural justice while tests were conducted and subsequently decided to ban Maggi noodles in Maharashtra. Besides, FDA will also argue that tests were conducted in the accredited laboratories. Those laboratories are recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories.”

The official recalled that the FDA taken action to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of Maggi noodles under Section 30 sub clause (a) of Clause (2) of the Food Safety and Standard Act based on the test reports. Around 20 samples were collected and tested.

Some of them had found to be containing high lead content and monosodium glutamate.

Maharashtra food minister Girish Bapat had said last week that the state government was “100 per cent in support of a ban on Maggi noodles”.

On October 17, Nestle India had shared the rest results of three laboratories in Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur saying 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by these laboratories showed lead much below permissible limits.