The Uttarakhand food safety department has sought information from ITC Limited on “nutrient value and source of flavours used” in preparing noodles, spelling trouble for the Kolkata-based company after its rival Nestle faced uproar over its ‘unhealthy’ Maggi products.
The food safety officer has asked the company to respond to its notice within 15 days or face action.
ITC, which has its manufacturing unit at the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited, sells its Yipee instant noodles under the Sunfeast brand.
Food safety officer, Roorkee, Dileep Jain sent the samples of ITC Sunfeast Yipee noodles (magic masala and classic packs) from the godown on Kaliyar Road near Bahadrabad for testing at the Rudrapur state laboratory.
The label of Sunfeast Yipee noodles says "Nutritional information per 100 g is 465 Kcal., protein 8.8, carbohaydrae 63 and others."
Among other questions, the company has been asked to elaborate on its claims about nutrient value, the scientific background and the flavours from "vegetarian source".
“We have asked through legal notice if the company has lab analysis reports of flavour enhancer INS 627 and INS 631. Also, the company has been asked about the vegetarian certificates of these flavor enhancers,” Jain said.
The department has also asked the company to provide nutrients profile study and accredited lab report approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
After Nestle's decision to remove ‘no added MSG’(monosodium glutamate) tag from Maggi, ITC recently decided to do the same with their instant noodles.
The company has already started the process of removing the phrase from new batches of its products. ITC has stated its products have been found to be in compliance with all food safety regulations and safe for consumption.
On June 3, the state government banned the sale of Maggi for three months after a sample of the popular instant noodles taken earlier this year from Pauri district failed laboratory test.
Sixteen of 54 controversial Maggi samples sent for testing in the state have been found to have contained mono sodium glutamate and lead above permissible limit.
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