Excess lead in UP's Yippee samples: FDA

MEERUT: A sample of Yippee noodles from Aligarh has been found to have lead content beyond permissible limits, according to officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) here.

The company, however, denied the charge and made it clear that they had received no communication from the state government in this regard. A statement by the company said, "It would be pertinent to note that the company has in the recent past carried out tests of more than 700 samples of Sunfeast Yippee noodles both internally and externally at NABL-accredited FSSAI-approved laboratories in India and international laboratories in Italy, Singapore and Japan and have found that the lead content in all the samples was either not detected, or much below the prescribed limits under the Food Safety Regulations. All the test results have been posted on our website."

According to FDA officials, the sample, manufactured on March 31, 2015, had been collected by an FDA team from the Vishal mega Mart at Kishanpur Chauraha here in May and sent to the laboratory for testing. The report notes that the noodle sample had lead content of 1.705 parts per million (ppm) beyond the permissible limit of 1.0 ppm, while the tastemaker had lead content of 3.245 ppm against the limit of 2.5 ppm, said officials.

The sample has now been sent for further testing to the department of food safety and security in Lucknow. If given the nod by analysts at Lucknow, the FDA will file a court case against Vishal Megamart, from where the sample was taken, the manufacturer ITC and the vendor or distributor, officials said.

"We are waiting for the department in Lucknow to give the nod before we file the case," said FDA's designated officer Chandan Pandey, talking to TOI. "High lead content in food adversely affects our nervous system."

However, the seller of the sample stated that they have not been informed of the development. "We have not got any intimation or notice from the government. Only a report has been sent. It is difficult to say anything right now. If we do get the notice we will reapply to the government and send the product for retests," said Dilip Yadav, purchase manager, Vishal Megamart.

Yippee noodles' manufacturers insisted that their products are regularly tested at their as well as FSSAI-approved laboratories. "We rigorously and regularly test our product for all parameters including heavy metals both in our in-house NABL accredited laboratory at the ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre, Bangalore and external NABL-accredited and FSSAI-approved laboratories," the company's statement said.