New Delhi:
Excess Lead Found In 10 Of 13 Packets
Maggi noodles is in trouble in Delhi amid indications that the state government may ban it. A Delhi government spokesman said 10 of 13 samples tested for lead content were found to have amounts higher than permissible limits. Several other states were also testing the product. If Maggi fails these tests, the travails of Nestle, which manufactures the popular noodles, could deepen.
“This falls under the category of misbranding,“ Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said. He added the government has decided to file a case against Nestle for selling an unsafe product and fine it for misbranding.Sources said Nestle officials will be summoned for explanation. When TOI tried to contact Nestle officials, their phones went unanswered.
“Last week, we lifted 13 samples for testing. We found the masala and tastemakers of at least 10 such packets had lead content beyond the prescribed limit of 2.5 ppm,“ Jain said. Five samples were found to contain MSG without label declaration, he said. Meanwhile, a Bihar court on Tuesday ordered the police to lodge an FIR against Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta -brand ambassadors of Nestle India -following a complaint by a lawyer that he fell ill after eating Maggi. Various state governments deployed officials to randomly collect and test Maggi samples. A senior Delhi health official said all existing stocks of Maggi will have to be removed from the market immediately since 80% of samples tested were found to be unfit for human consumption.
The Kerala government pulled out Maggi from its 1,700 Supplyco outlets. Saying the government is yet to ban it, food and civil supplies minister Anoop Jacob said, “We've decided to withdraw the product from our outlets. Random samples of Maggi have been sent for testing by the civil supplies department.“
In Goa, FDA director Jyoti Sardesai said, “We tested samples col lected from the Goa market as well as Nestle factory located in Mauliguem in north Goa. All were found to be of standard quality .“
In Karnataka, the government ordered testing on samples. Health and family welfare minister U T Khader asked officials to conduct tests and submit a report within 48 hours. The minister cited the decision of Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation to withdraw Maggi packs as justification. Karnataka joint director, food safety and standards, H Shivakumar said apart from Maggi, its rival brands like Top Ramen and Surya too would be tested.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorities said they have collected Maggi samples from Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to check for the presence of lead and MSG. FDA commissioner Harshdeep Kamble said test reports would be ready in a couple of days.
Explaining the reason for delay, an FDA official said Maggi does not come under products that have standardized quality checks under the Food Safety and Standards Act.Ingredients milk and edible oil come under that category.
“For products like Maggi that contain a variety of components, including tastemaker, colour, additives, each ingredient has to be tested separately for quality and permissible quantity ,“ the official said.
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com
Pacts indemnify celebrity endorsers
`Warranties Are Secured That Products Promoted Are Good, Safe & Legal'
A day after the central government declared that celebrities endorsing products or services would be liable for legal action if the advertisements they figure in were found to be misleading, several actors went back to their contracts to ensure they were insulated against legal troubles.
Bunty Sajdeh, who heads Cornerstone Media that handles the work of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, said he already has a strong contract that indemnifies the stars. Virat is endorsing 12 brands, Shikhar six and Rohit four.
However, star-turned-Trinamool MP Dev said he would like to rework his contract to manufacturer would be answerable and not the person endorsing it. Dev , who endorses seven brands, said, “It's extremely unfortunate that stars are now being dragged into such controversies. When a product is allowed to be sold in India, we expect it to have met standards.“
Sajdeh said that the players' contracts clearly state that it's not possible for stars to check the ingredients used and that they take the word of the manufacturer at face value. He added, “Should anything untoward happen, we have the option of immediately discontinuing the agreement. We also make it clear that in case of any problems, the manufacturers have to handle the lawsuits.“
Contracts for Bollywood stars managed by Yash Raj Films are rock solid. The firm handles works of Rani Mukerji, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Sushant Singh Rajput and Ayushmann Khurrana.Jayesh Kishanchandani, GM, business development, YRF Talent, said that all their endorsement agreements have clauses that protect the artists.
“Through these clauses, the artist gets a warranty from the brand that the products are of good quality and safe for use and comply with all laws of India,“ Kishanchandani said.
Anirban Das Blah, managing partner of CAA Kwan that handles the work of 100 celebrities, including Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar, Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, said, “If such things happen, our contract states that the celebrity is as much a victim as a consumer. Besides, we're not investigating agencies. If celebs are being held for false promises, what about our politicians? The buck should stop with the government who gives permission to sell such products.“
FIR against Big B, Madhuri & Preity
A Bihar court on Tuesday ordered police to lodge an FIR against actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta -brand ambassadors of Nestle India -following a complaint filed in the court by a lawyer alleging that he fell ill after eating Maggi. The court asked police to arrest them, if required. Muzaffarpur additional chief judicial magistrate Ramchandra Prasad also ordered the police to name as accused Nestle India's MD Mohan Gupta and joint director Sabab Alam.
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