Maggi defends noodles after lead claims

Nestlé are rushing to assure consumers that their Maggi noodle products are safe to eat after rumours that they contain unsafe and harmful ingredients have been running rampant.

Tests, which were carried out on samples from Uttar Pradesh in India, revealed the noodles contained far higher amounts of MSG and lead than the permissible level. The lab results indicated there was seven times more lead present in the samples taken than the acceptable level.

More tests on the noodles will be carried out and if they too indicate excessive amounts of MSG and lead, the Lucknow Food Safety and Drug Administration (LFSDA) has stated that it will apply to revoke Maggi’s licence.

Nestlé fights recall

On April 30 the LFSDA ordered the company to recall 200,000 packets of their famous noodles. Nestlé stated the batch that had been tested all expired in November 2014 and added that the company’s policy is to retrieve any products that have exceeded their best-by date from store shelves.

Nestlé, the country’s largest food manufacturer, said it disagrees with the LFSDA’s order to recall the single batch of noodles and have taken steps to contest it. The company has also stated it does not add MSG to its products and the traces found on the Uttar Pradesh were likely due to natural products.

“We are confident that these packs are no longer in the market. The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities,” said a spokesperson for Nestlé.

“We have in place strict food safety and quality controls including thorough quality checks at each stage of our raw material sourcing and manufacturing process. This includes comprehensive testing to ensure that Maggi noodles comply with all applicable food safety laws,” they added.

Reports concerning the safety of the Maggi products began gathering momentum recently on social media even though the original complaint was made more than a month ago.

Nestle has since responded that it has sent samples of the noodles to an independent laboratory and that they will share the results with Lucknow authorities.