Food body to ask labs to share Maggi test reports

 

 Days after Nestle India kicked-off its relaunch campaign for Maggi, claiming that their product was safe based on test results from some laboratories, the country’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has decided to direct the laboratories to share the recent Maggi test reports.

Nestle India claimed that Maggi has cleared all tests prescribed by the court after the court in August asked Nestle to get samples tested at specified laboratories to ensure that they conform to safety standards.

Ashish Bahuguna, chairperson, FSSAI, told this newspaper that the details of the analyses had so far not been shared with FSSAI by either Nestle or the laboratories. “Though Nestle is claiming that their product is safe, nonetheless our concern is that whatever are the results, we should be informed about them. We have decided to write to the laboratories to share the results,” he said.

FSSAI had in June this year ordered Maggi to be recalled after tests in some laboratories had shown lead levels above the permissible limit. Nestle India, which manufactures Maggi, challenged the ban in the Bombay high court. In August the court lifted the ban but asked the company to get the samples tested at specified laboratories. Nestle recently approached the court claiming that the laboratories had cleared the samples. Soon the manufacturers launched a campaign explaining that all is well with their product as around 3,500 samples of noodles were put to rigorous tests in India and in countries like Australia, UK, Canada, the US and Singapore.

A “comeback” doesn’t look easy, though. Three days after the news broke, Maharashtra food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat had announced the decision to challenge the lifting of the ban.

FSSAI chairperson Ashish Bahuguna said the company will have to wait for some more time. “We are not challenging the decision of the court. But the manufacturers look in a hurry to get their product back. It is a matter of procedure, and, at the end of the day, we are concerned about the safety of the product. If the laboratories confirm that the product is safe, Nestle is free to manufacture,” added Mr Bahuguna.