Maggi effect: FSSAI plans specific regulations for noodles

In the wake of the Maggi controversy, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on new regulations for quality standards of instant noodles to better regulate the quality of taste-makers and other ingredients.

The new regulations by FSSAI will  be aimed at bringing in more clarity in the quality standards, sources said.

This will be the first time that FSSAI would come up with quality standards specifically for instant noodles. So far, there has been one common standard for various kinds of ready-to-cook products including noodles.

The new norms would clearly set the permissible limits for monosodium glutamate (MSG) and ash, and state the specific standards for taste makers, a key ingredient in instant noodles, sources said.

On April 1, FSSAI had asked state authorities to launch proceedings against only those noodle or pasta companies that had taste-enhancer MSG in their products despite carrying 'no MSG' or 'no added MSG' label on the packets.

Glutamate is naturally found in some common foods such as milk, spices, wheat, and vegetables.

Presently, there is no analytical method to determine whether MSG was added to the product during manufacturing or it was naturally present in the product.

This can, however, be checked through inspection of the manufacturing premises.

In June last year, FSSAI had banned Nestlé’s Maggi noodles over allegations of high lead content and the presence of MSG above permissible limit.

The Bombay High Court lifted the nationwide ban on Maggi noodles, and asked Nestlé India to go for a fresh test of samples in three independent laboratories across India.

Nestlé re-launched Maggi noodles in Indian markets in November 2015.