NEW DELHI: The United States FDA cleared Nestle's two-minute Maggi noodles samples late Monday night, the seventh country to do so, even as national food regulator Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has refused to give a clean chit to the noodles brand.
"We have learnt from our official importer in the United States, House of Spices, that the US Food and Drug Administration has tested several shipments of Maggi noodles from India for lead content. Finding no unsafe lead levels, FDA released the noodles for sale in the United States," a Nestle spokesperson said. Food regulators in the UK, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam have already stated that they have found India-made Maggi to be safe for consumption.
Maggi noodles was banned by FSSAI on June 5, based on allegations that it had excessive lead levels, mislabelling on packs which declared 'no added MSG', and was selling Maggi oats masala noodles without product approval. Nestle, however, has insisted that neither its Maggi noodles nor pasta contain added MSG, adding that many packaged foods contain hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour, all of which contain glutamate. Nestle has claimed that if lab tests show MSG, it is probably due to natural glutamate. However, according to FSSAI, packaged foods with ingredients that naturally contain MSG cannot declare 'no added MSG' on their packs, since this could be misleading.
Maggi noodles, Nestle's flagship brand, was doing sales of over Rs 2,000 crore before the ban. The recall exercise of Maggi noodles has cost Nestle Rs 320 crore and another Rs 1,270 crore in brand loss according to global valuation consultancy Brand Finance.
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