Delhi health minister meets Nestle officials on Maggi row

Punjab, Telangana and TN to test Maggi samples; stock slumps 10%

A day after it found samples of Maggi noodles "unsafe" for consumption, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain today met Nestle officials.

The officials reportedly presented their case before the minister.
 

The Delhi government had yesterday decided to initiate a case against Nestle India after lab tests of Maggi samples showed excessive amounts of lead.

According to officials, a total of 13 samples of masala (tastemaker) were lifted by authorities from various areas of the city last week, out of which 10 samples were found unsafe.

Five samples of the masala had monosodium glutamate without proper label declaration, which is an offence under the category of misbranding, they added.

Meanwhile, Punjab, Telangana and Tamil Nadu said they will test Maggi noodles for levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead.

"We have taken almost 60 samples of Maggi noodles collected from various parts of the state for laboratory testing," Punjab Heath and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani told PTI.

A number of states including Kerala and Haryana have already initiated steps on the Maggi issue.

Future Group today said it is removing the packs of Maggi noodles from its stores such as Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Nilgiris, Easyday.

The probe into alleged lapses by Nestle has already been expanded, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) saying it expects to get test reports from at least 20 states by the end of this week.

If any violation is detected in these samples, the regulator under the Union health ministry would take action by the middle of next week, FSSAI Chief Executive Yudhvir Singh Malik told Business Standard.

However, Nestle India today said it has not received any order from the central or any state FDA authority for recall of its Maggi noodles as the controversy over safety issues deepened.

"We have not received any official communication from the authorities so far," the company said in a BSE filing.

It further said: "We wish to state that we have till now not received any orders from any state/Centre FDA authorities to recall Maggi noodle products in the market except an order from the Uttar Pradesh FDA dated 30.4.2015 asking us to recall a batch of Maggi noodles manufactured in February 2014, which had already reached the 'Best Before date' in November 2014."

But the Nestle stock slumped over 10% over growing concerns about the safety standards of its brand Maggi.