NAINITAL: The Uttarakhand government on Tuesday extended the ban on Nestle's Maggi noodles by one more month. The order, issued by the food safety department of the state, extended the ban after the three-month proscription of the noodle brand ended earlier this month.
The decision to extend the ban was confirmed by the food safety commissioner's office in Dehradun on Wednesday. While officials there confirmed that the ban had been extended by another month, they did not elaborate on the matter.
Maggi lovers were hoping that the 2-minute noodle would be on the shelves soon after the Mumbai HC gave it a clean chit. The state government had imposed a three-month ban on Maggi on June 3, following which Nestle India — for who the state is an important market — had approached the state high court seeking a stay on the ban.
Samples of the noodles had failed tests at the state food testing lab in Rudrapur in July when objectionable amounts of artificial colour and flavour were allegedly found in them. Authorities had decided to ban Maggi on June 3 after excess amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG) was found in the product. Worried about Uttarakhand's 3-month ban of its product, Nestle India moved the HC on June 5 seeking a stay on the ban as an interim measure. The writ also alleged that due process of law was not followed by the state government and that the ban order was "without jurisdiction".
In its reply to the petition, the state government argued that the ban was imposed using sections of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The matter is still sub judice and the next hearing of the case is on September 15 this year. Apart from on-roll employees of the company, over 1,100 contractual workers, vendors, transporters and other associates of the company had hoped for some breakthrough in ongoing freeze which has affected their livelihood. Rajendra Singh, one of the former contractual workers of Nestle in State
Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL), Udham Singh Nagar, who is now a rickshaw puller in Rudrapur, said, "This is like an extension of our agony. Our hopes are gradually fading and we do not know what to do or where to go."
Nestle officials, when contacted, declined to comment on the matter.
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