Tamil Nadu food safety officials say they are yet to receive notification regarding lifting of ban on Maggi.
Banned instant noodles brand Maggi may soon be back, with the Bombay High Court on Thursday conditionally setting aside a ban imposed on its nine variants.
But food safety officials in Tamil Nadu, where a three-month ban on the product is in place, say that as of now, they have received no notification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) about this.
The court, reports state, has asked for fresh tests on five samples of the product in three accredited labs and if the tests prove that the lead content is within acceptable limits, Nestle India may resume manufacture and sales.
On June 4, the Tamil Nadu government had banned the manufacture, stocking and sales of Maggi noodles and three other brands for three months, on the grounds that the products contained unacceptable levels of lead, a toxic substance. On the following day, the FSSAI had asked Nestle India, which produces Maggi, to withdraw its noodles from the market, stating that they were “unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.”
“The company had recalled its noodles from the market, which means that after the fresh tests, if it is found safe, they will have to re-introduce it as a new product. In that case, our ban may not apply, and if the FSSAI certifies that these products are safe for consumption, we will not do anything more,” a senior food safety official said.
Maggi noodles had been in the midst of a huge controversy following a test in Uttar Pradesh that revealed that the product had high levels of lead and mislabelling of monosodium glutamate (MSG). In Chennai, of seven samples tested, six had lead content higher than the mandated limit of 2.5 parts per million.
“What about other brands that have not been tested? What about smaller manufacturers of other packaged products? There is hardly any risk analysis done of any packaged product. The government must have a mechanism for surveillance of products and to test and analyse them within certain time frames. Continuous monitoring must be on,” said G. Santhanarajan, director, Consumer Association of India.
Infobox:
Maggi was missed!
A recent survey by Airloyal, a marketplace for mobile engagement, found that Maggi was sorely missed in the country. The survey, taken by 5,000 respondents, according to a note from Airloyal, found that:
Over 65 per cent respondents miss Maggi
Of these, about 35 per cent are boys
Maharashtra seems to have missed the noodles most while Tamil Nadu comes in fifth
65 per cent of respondents feel Maggi can never be replaced
62 per cent believe that Maggi is safe and want to have it again
On twitter, many users were already celebrating the possible return of their favorite “two-minute” snack.
Swapnil Khound þ@Swapnilkhound #Happinessis A bowl of #Maggi loaded with garlic butter #MaggiIsBack @NestleIndia congratulations!
Kavya Janani þ@UKavyajanani Welcome back Maggi. I am dying to meet you after a long hiatus. :-) #Maggi #MaggiIsBack
Shatadru Seal þ@ShatadruSeal #MaggiIsBack Just 6weeks to go!!
Shivayan Bora þ@ritz_277 The best news I've heard all day... XD #MaggiIsBack
Shivam Varshney þ@sviitb7 Mere Maggi noodles aayenge #MaggiIsBack #Maggi
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