New Delhi, June 12As the Maggi controversy rages, the food safety officer, who approved Nestle's now banned instant noodles brand for marketing in July 2013, today said much of the mess could have been prevented had the apex food regulator and state authorities conducted regular surveillance of the product.
In an interview to The Tribune, Pradip Chakravarty, director in charge of product approvals in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at the time of Maggi's approvals, said, "If the FSSAI and the state authorities had conducted regular surveillance of the product in question, the problem could have been avoided. More surveillance means less enforcement. It is like preventing the disease rather than waiting for the cure - what we are now doing."
Asked how Maggi, approved only two years ago, could turn unsafe now with high lead levels, Chakravarty said lead as a contaminant in food ingredients and finished products could come at any time due to agricultural practices and soil contamination in India. "The FSSAI rules prescribe the maximum permissible levels of lead depending on various food categories. For example, in noodles permissible lead is 2.5 parts per million (ppm) while in whole turmeric powder it is 10 ppm. The question is of detecting lead through regular surveillance of foods. Had that been done in the instant case, and lead and monosodium glutamate had been checked, Maggi would have been safe," he said.
He said at the time of approvals, Maggi had been tested for contaminants at an FSSAI-notified national accreditation board laboratory and found safe. He said the approval was "conditional" to Nestle on maintaining the permissible levels of heavy metals and other contaminants in their foods. On a question about FSSAI often maintaining that enforcement is the job of state food authorities, Chakravarty disagreed. He said Section 29 of the FSSAI Act, 2006, says the FSSAI and state food safety authorities would be responsible for enforcement of the Act and both could test samples. "Although the law is a self complaint law which makes ensuring food safety the principal responsibility of the food business operator, Section 16 of the Act clearly says it is the duty of FSSAI and state authorities to ensure safe and wholesome food. So apex regulator and states have a responsibility in the instant case," he said.
Ban to continue, says Bombay HC
Nestle India failed to get any relief on Friday with the Bombay High Court refusing to stay orders of the central food safety regulator and the Maharashtra Government banning nine variants of its “Maggi” noodles from the market for being "hazardous" to public health.
The court directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Maharashtra to file their affidavits in reply to the firm's petition within two weeks.
Conditional approval
Maggi was tested for contaminants at an FSSAI-notified laboratory and found safe in 2013. The approval was conditional to Nestle on maintaining the permissible levels of metals. —Pradip Chakravarty, Food Safety Officer
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