BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Monday lifted the ban on Maggi noodles, with a rider: a nationally accredited lab will test the new batch before its sale is allowed in the state.
The government's move comes two days after the Nestle samples passed the tests in three laboratories designated by the Bombay high court. Health minister UT Khader announced the government's decision to rescind the ban. Asked if the government was in a hurry to recall the ban, the minister said their decision was inspired by the Bombay high court judgment.
Nestle has a manufacturing facility in Nanjangud, near Mysuru, which stopped production of the instant noodles following the ban. The company has plans to expand its Karnataka unit.
Khader said the Maggi ban, imposed four months ago, lacked clarity on many grounds. Soon after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) order, he said they decided to test the samples at a private laboratory in Bengaluru. Later, they sent samples to the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata.
"Having received two contradicting reports (the CFL suggested an increase in permissible limits of lead), we sought a directive from the FSSAI four months ago. We've failed to get any response so far," Khader added.
He claimed that the Centre advised FSSAI's Karnataka officials against sending Maggi samples to a third-party laboratory in a neutral state as the matter was pending before courts in many states. He called the Centre's Maggi ban order "immature", and didn't want Karnataka to be a party to an "irresponsible" decision.
Karnataka banned Maggi on June 5 following nationwide fear that levels of mono sodium glutamate and lead in the noodle packets breached limits.
Nestle has said the product will hit the stores in 2-3 weeks after it restarts manufacturing and will sell "only after the newly manufactured products are cleared by the designated three laboratories".
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