Boiling Maggi row goes global with Singapore ban

The row over the safety of Maggi noodles continues to be on the boil, and has now gone global, with Singapore banning the instant noodles on the direction of its Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

The South East Asian nation has joined the Indian states of Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand in banning the product, after concerns were raised over the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead beyond permissible levels.

Meanwhile, a statement from parent company Nestle said that its global CEO Paul Bulcke will address a press conference on the issue today, even as it pulled Maggi off Indian market shelves.

Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said that the government has decided to file a complaint regarding the Maggi issue with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to further investigate the matter as the FSSAI reports might take some time to come.

A case was lodged earlier against Nestle India by the UP food regulator FSDA in a local court at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh over safety standards of its Maggi, while actors Amitabh Bachhan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta were also separately dragged to court for promoting the 'two-minute' noodles brand.