New Delhi/ Lucknow, 29 May
The Union ministry of consumer affairs on Friday jumped into the controversy surrounding the reportedly high levels of monosodium glutamate ( MSG) and lead in Nestles famous noodle brand Maggi. It said it had directed the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ( NCDRC) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to take note, as it concerned the health of a large section of consumers.
“A class action suit can be initiated into the matter if a complaint is made to NCDRC,” consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday.
The Uttar Pradesh Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also filing a case against Nestle India at a district court at Barabanki, from where it had collected the “contaminated” samples, UP FDA additional commissioner (administration) Ram Araj
Maurya told Business Standard on Friday. Barabanki FDA designated officer V K Pandey confirmed they have completed preliminary homework to present a case before the court.
The UP FDA continues to collect random Maggi samples for investigation. So far, it has collected about a dozen samples from Lucknow and is checking if these are ‘ clean’. “The reports of three such samples have come and they have tested negative. Reports of the remaining samples are awaited,” Maurya said. There are six FDA labs in UP at Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Meerut, Varanasi, Agra and Jhansi.
Last month, the UP FDA had asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of Maggi noodles " manufactured in February 2014" after it said it had found high levels of added MSG, a taste enhancer, in the noodles and lead beyond permissible limits.
Madhuri gets notice for endorsing Maggi
Dehradun, 29 May
Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit ( pictured) seems to have landed in a soup for endorsing Maggi with the Haridwar Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) on Friday serving a notice to her on the claims made in the advertisement.
The notice seeks a report from the actress within 15 days on claims made in the advertisement regarding the nutrition value of the 2- minute noodles, an official of Haridwar FDA said. Dixit has been asked to explain how Maggi is good for health and the basis of making the claims. If the actress fails to respond to the notice within the stipulated time, a case could be registered against her, food security officer Mahimanand Joshi said.
‘Class- action suits on firms misleading consumers’
The Union consumer affairs ministry said it would lodge class- action suits against companies against which complaints of misleading advertisements are filed. The ministry has received 116 complaints of violation of consumer rights since it launched its website. Of these, 27 are related to health, 24 are related to education and nine are related to real estate.
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