Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a statement released recently has clarified that the apex regulatory body has not given clean chit to Maggi noodles with regard to safety for consumption.
The clarification has been issued following reports that FSSAI-approved lab finds Maggi noodles safe, which appeared in certain sections of the media. The lab mentioned in the reports refers to CFTRI, Mysore.
FSSAI’s statement further clarifies, as regards the reports of CFTRI, Mysore, finding mention in the media reports, the factual position is as under:
(i) The food safety department of Goa had drawn five samples of Maggi noodles pursuant to a communication dated May 25, 2015, from FSSAI to all the food safety commissioners of states to draw samples and get the same tested. These samples were initially sent for testing in the Food & Drugs Laboratory of Goa. The reports of first test were received on June 1, 2015. Observing that the food analyst of the said lab had wrongly taken the permissible limit of Lead as 10 PPM for the ‘Tastemaker’ as against the actual maximum permissible level of 2.5 PPM and the results reported by the lab did not contain specific Lead content found in the samples, FSSAI had sought clarifications from the State Food Authority in this behalf.
(ii) The food safety department of Goa subsequently sent one part of the said samples to the CFTRI, Mysore, where the Lead has been found to be within permissible limits. A perusal of the test results from CFTRI, Mysore, shows that the said samples have not been tested for MSG.
In any case, the test results of Goa samples had no bearing on the order dated June 5, 2015, as the samples tested qua Goa were not assumed to be unsafe while passing the recall order by FSSAI. As such, the present test reports do not have any bearing on that order.
It may also be noted that as per information shared by Nestle India Limited with FSSAI, Nestle India has been manufacturing Maggi noodles at their factories situated at
(i) Village Mauliguem, Bicholim (Goa); (ii) Industrial Area, Nanjangud, Mysore; (iii) IEE, Pantnagar, SIDCUL, Rudrapur; (iv) Tahliwal, Haroli,Una (HP); (v) Moga (Punjab) and one co-packer facility at Birshibpur, Howrah (West Bengal). Further, as informed by Nestle at the initial stage, their Maggi noodles for exports to eight countries were manufactured only at the Bicholim (Goa) factory. Part of the local domestic supplies, including four out of five samples tested were also from the product manufactured at the Bicholim (Goa) factory.
(v) News reports have also appeared in the media in past stating that Maggi noodles were found to be safe in the UK and Singapore. FSSAI requested Nestle India to share the details of Test Reports of the UK and Singapore. Nestle has not shared the details of the said test reports of the UK and Singapore regulators with FSSAI stating that they do not have this information.
