Detergent in Mother Dairy Milk? Company Refutes Allegation

Two samples of milk produced by Mother Dairy have been found to be substandard, and one of them contained detergent, a food watchdog official noted. A Mother Dairy official denied the charges, saying the company conducts "stringent quality tests", and the substandard milk was wrongly attributed to it.

Ram Naresh Yadav, chief of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department in Agra, said two samples were taken from Mother Dairy's collection centres in Bah tehsil, 70 km from Agra city, in November 2014.

"The samples were sent to the Lucknow laboratory which declared both of them substandard. The company challenged the results and demanded the samples be sent to the Kolkata lab, which too found them defective. In fact, the Kolkata lab found one sample contained detergent," Yadav told IANS. However, a Mother Dairy official denied the allegations.

"It is very unfortunate that the samples collected at the village level are being wrongly attributed to Mother Dairy," said Sandeep Ghosh, business head for milk at Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt. Ltd.

"We would like to clarify that at Mother Dairy, milk undergoes four levels of thorough testing at input, processing, dispatch level and even at market level. Every the milk tankers that reach our plants pass a series of 23 stringent quality tests to check of any deviation from defined parameters.

"These tests assist in detecting contamination of milk through water, urea, detergent, oil, etc. For any such adulteration, the milk is immediately rejected from further processing. Only after securing clearance from all quality measures, the milk is then accepted for processing and re-examined after processing," Ghosh said.

The Mother Dairy official said that as a "responsible organisation", they follow "100 percent testing protocol rather than resorting to random testing procedures".

"To ensure only best and safe quality milk for our consumers, we make sure that every batch of milk is again tested before dispatch." He also said Mother Dairy follows a "unique practice" of testing its own milk at retail points too.

Around 100 samples from the market are tested on a daily basis, thus ensuring that the products available are safe for consumption, Ghosh said. The spokesperson said supplies were often rejected by the company if found to be substandard.

"The rejections are due to quality concerns and may vary. We rejected 10 milk tankers in December 2014. The rejected milk is not permitted inside our premises and returned back to the suppliers," the official said.

Remains of Frog and Lizard Alleged to be Found in Wheat Flour

A customer has alleged that remains of a frog and a lizard were found in a popular brand wheat flour packet following which the company flatly denied any possibility of presence of any such things in its product. However, taking a serious note of the matter, the district administration initiated a probe by collecting samples of the same batch of flour from the shop where the customer had purchased it and sent these to the Bhopal-based State Food Testing Laboratory, Food Security Officer J S Rana said.

"Vijay Pratap Singh Tomar, a resident of HIG Colony, purchased a packed wheat flour from a local grocery shop and we have collected samples of the same batch from there. On the basis of a lab report, further action will be taken," he said. In his complaint, Tomar said that he had purchased two bags of Silver Coin brand wheat flour of five kilograms each.

After consuming the first packet, they opened the second packet and was shocked to see parts of a frog and a lizard in it. He said that he would file a complaint with a consumer forum against the company. Indore-based Sanghvi Group manufactures the Silver Coin brand of wheat flour.

"Our plant is fully automatic and therefore, it is not possible for remains of frog or lizard to be found inside the packed product," said company's General Manager of Operations Prasanna Sharma.

The complainant has not even been filed with the company's customer care cell, he added.

ITC to remove "no added MSG" disclaimer from 'Yippee' noodles

Diversified business conglomerate ITC would remove the disclaimer "no added MSG" from packets of its instant noodles sold under Sunfeast Yippee brand following recent directions by the central food safety regulator FSSAI.

According to the company, under the Food Safety Standards Act, if a manufacturer adds MSG (Monosodium glutamate) in its product, then only the quantum of MSG has to be declared.

Moreover, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in connection with noodles of another brand, had held that such statement of having no MSG was "inappropriate", ITC said in a statement.

"Therefore, ITC is voluntarily taking steps to remove the phrase 'no added MSG' from its labels in its new batches of packaging and consumers should ignore this on the current packaging. ITC would like to once again assure consumers that MSG is not added to Sunfeast YiPPee! Noodles," ITC said.

It added: "In recent weeks, there has been some confusion about the manner of declaration of MSG in packaged food items".

"Under the FSS Act, if a manufacturer adds MSG to the product, the quantum of MSG so added needs to be declared.

Since no MSG is added in Yippee noodles, the packages carried a statement to that effect, i.e., "contains no added MSG," it added.

On June 8, ITC had said that it was conducting more tests on its products at accredited labs across India over and above internal tests to reassure its customers over safety in the wake of Maggi issue.

The Truth About Chocolates: Why do Some Bars Melt and Some Don't?

The Truth About Chocolates: Why do Some Bars Melt and Some Don't?

It is not without reason that chocolate was referred to as the food of the Gods by ancient Mesoamericans. With its deep luxurious hue, velvety-smooth texture, spellbinding aroma and irresistible flavour, it has seduced one and all who have dared to partake in its divine offerings. It is incredible how with even a smallest bite, it can make you forget the world for those brief seconds as you give into complete indulgence. Well, at least that is what it does to me every time I bite into my precious and carefully guarded bar of dark chocolate with above 80 percent cacao. But truth be told, not everyone is accustomed to such an intense flavour. It is an acquired taste, which I have developed over the years with complete devotion to chocolates.

The 5 most shocking ingredients in your food

Growing up, for most of us milk chocolates were the ultimate definition of a treat. It always brought immense joy to tear open the purple packaging and unwrap the golden foil to finally savour the content. The easy-to-divide, multi-cubed chocolate bars were synonymous to a pat on the back for a job well done or being pampered by visiting relatives. One of my favourite ways to eating the bar was to let it melt a little in the sun and then go all in with my fingers. The luscious molten chocolate with its creamy feel made for the most cherished guilty pleasure.

As more people read food labels closely, ingredients vanish

That was then. Now let’s shift focus to other popular chocolate treats that most children so lovingly look forward to and relish with all their hearts. Wafer-based chocolates in varied flavours, nuts and caramel bars, and nougat treats, there are just no end to the options that are available in the market these days. It takes less than a 10 rupee note to buy happiness, so that ought to be good news right? But have you ever wondered, how a sacred ingredient that was compared to the Gods by the ancient folks and valued so dearly, is now as common as salt. Latest stats however reveal that the cultivation of cocoa beans from which chocolates are made is facing major challenges as the demand for it is much higher that what is produced each year. So if that is true, then the question really is how are the supermarket shelves still packed with what seems like limitless supply of chocolates?

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The Molten Decadence

What makes chocolate so special besides its flavour and aroma is its creamy texture. This exceptional quality is brought about by what is known as cacao butter or theobroma oil. The chocolate making process is extremely labourious although it bears very sweet results. The cacao beans go through a series of techniques like fermentation, dry roasting, cold-pressing, etc. to finally separate the precious cacao butter from the mass. It is this pale-yellow cacao butter which is then used to make the chocolate bars that we are so accustomed to.

7 Most Addictive Foods That Are Unhealthy

Cacao butter has high natural saturated fats and is very stable at room temperature. But with a little extra heat it loses its strength and acquires a molten, thick cream-like texture. This unique property is also the reason why as soon as you put a chocolate cube in your mouth it starts melting immediately, hence the phrase, “melts in the mouth”.

It is this very nature of cacao butter that had garnered my love for chocolates. Something about its rich velvety feel that makes it so hard to resist. So imagine my plight when I recently brought home some wafer-based chocolates and despite the packs lying out on a shelf in Delhi’s fearsome summer, none of them showed signs of the molten decadence that is characteristic of true chocolates. So what are we really eating?

The Other Kind of Cacao Butter

It is rightly said that along with fame comes many evil things. Chocolate’s rise to popularity did bring happiness to millions but it also led to a dark practise of adulterating the primary ingredient. This is not an uncommon phenomenon in the food industry. We have seen many fall prey to it – milk, cream, cheese, oils, liquors, etc.

Since cacao butter is an expansive commodity, many manufacturers of chocolates replace it with other types of fats such as vegetable oils – coconut, palm, rapeseed, soybean, etc. If you read through the label on some of the cheaply priced chocolate wrappers, chances are you may come across this ingredient - hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not only do they fail to match up to the luxurious taste and aroma of real chocolate, they are terribly harmful for health and probably the most dangerous of all kinds.

Vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature, so the process of hydrogenation is employed to make them attain a solid state or a firmer texture. Doing so also increases the shelf-life of the chocolates but on the flipside, it converts them into saturated fats or trans fats (on partial hydrogenation), which need no introduction. Take into account some of the most fearful diseases of all time (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) and they will trace back to these two as the culprits. So come to think of it, what we are actually feeding ourselves and our children are disease causing fats and sugars, which are sheepishly planning our own deaths.

Food Packaged as 'Organic' or 'Natural' Might be Unhealthy

Read Between the Lines

I must confess that it is only recently that I have started paying more attention to reading food labels before buying the products. I am certain that there are many who give no importance to reading the labels and believe, everything that is made available on the supermarket shelves must be good for health.

Now you may argue that if most chocolates today contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, which we all say is harmful for health, then why are these products open for purchase by the authorities? Well, they are allowed on the condition that all the ingredients must be clearly mentioned on the label so that the consumers can make their own choices. It is said that in the US, a product can be called chocolate only if it contains 100% cacao butter.

Did you know that almost all chocolates in India that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils do not have the word ‘chocolate’ mentioned anywhere on the wrapper? In other words, it may just mean that the brands are making no claims that their products are true chocolates.

Sadly, as a general consumer, we often fail to read between the lines and go by anything that smart marketing campaigns throw our way. We believe that all sweet products that resemble chocolates and are packaged in attractive wrappers must be as good as they say they are. If only good prevailed in this world!

We bring you a round-up of some of the top brands in the Indian market with their popular ‘chocolate’ products and what the labels have to say. Now, the choice is really yours.

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Metal in fruits and vegetables: How much is too much?

Mid-day got food grain, fruits, and vegetables all raw material for instant foods analysed, and found nickel in carrot and coriander, but scientists say there’s no database to gauge the allowed limits of such substances in raw material

While the Maggi controversy continues to simmer, mid-day decided to test food grain, fruits and vegetables all of which are ingredients that are used in instant fast food products to see if these contain any heavy metal or monosodium glutamate (MSG).

mid-day bought the vegetables from the local market and food grain from a kirana store. The samples were then sealed in airtight packets

It was the presence of these two substances that landed the noodle brand in a soup, stirring trouble for other instant noodles in the country as well. The samples were sent to a state-of-the-art laboratory of a premier institute in the country.

And sent to the laboratory of a premier institute in the country. Pics/Sameer Markande

Test results did show up the presence of nickel, a heavy metal, in raw carrot and coriander, and MSG in rice and wheat. However, the food safety authority of India has no scientific database by which one can gauge whether the presence of such substances in these raw materials is above permissible levels.

Dr Uday Annapure says India doesn’t have any scientific database for raw material to rely on

Among the vegetables we sent for testing were carrot, coriander and onion; the fruits analysed were watermelon and mango, and rice and wheat comprised our representatives from the foodgrain category. The laboratory this paper approached agreed to conduct qualitative analysis of our samples.

Raw coriander and carrot were found to have nickel. No other heavy metal was found

As advised, food grain samples were collected from a provisional store and fruits and vegetables from a regular market. Since the tests were not being done for any microbiological findings, the samples were handpicked and then sealed in airtight packets. All samples were then handed over for testing.

Findings

A qualitative scan was conducted for vegetables and fruits (mid-day has a copy of the reports). Except nickel, no other heavy metals were found in any other vegetable or fruit given for testing (see table), and the results showed the presence of nickel in coriander – 0.74 ppm (microgram/gram) and carrot –1.34 ppm (microgram/gram).

As far as MSG is concerned, rice showed 405 ppm of MSG, and wheat 7.3 ppm, which is said to be within the normal range. Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of medicine, Grant Medical College, said, “One major problem of nickel we have seen is allergic contact dermatitis. Nickel is used in artificial jewelry, and those allergic to nickel may get lesions and itching around the affected areas.

It is also seen in coin handlers or those sitting at cash counters in restaurant and shops; these people who handle change have complained of nickel allergy on their fingertips. Unfortunately, we have been overeating most of the heavy metals in our daily food, as most vegetables and fruits are grown using pesticides and fertilisers and contaminated water. So far, we have seen rampant cases of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and typhoid, as compared to heavy metal toxicity.”

Noted nephrologist Dr Bharat Shah said, “All heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury are toxic to the tubulointerstitial (a layer in the kidney) component of the kidney. Sustained toxicity can lead to chronic kidney disease, which can lead to permanent and irreversible kidney ailment. More than vegetables, it is alternative therapies (Ayurveda/Unani, etc), which are not authentic, which contribute to liver and kidney damage, as these drugs are carriers of heavy metals.”

Allowed or not?

What is surprising is that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has no yardstick or scientific database by which one can say that a certain quantity of metal in raw material is above permissible limits. In fact, traces of minerals have been found in almost all foods, including the two samples we sent, said food scientists, adding that there is no scientific database to show the permissible limit for raw materials.

In a recent statement, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a public-interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, had said, “On the one hand enforcement of food regulation, labelling, advertising, and promotion must get stringent as consumption of packaged foodstuff grows, but on the other hand we must not forget that the quest for good food also involves caring about the health of the food chains and ecosystems of which we are part, and about policies and agreements which influence the accessibility of good food.

All stakeholders, including the government and industry, must take responsibility for good food and consumers must be able to make informed dietary choices.” Food scientist Dr Deepa Bhajekar, director, D-technology, a food technology firm, said, “Given the recent stir because of the presence of heavy metal in a popular fast food, it becomes imperative to evaluate further what the source of these contaminants is. These could arise from groundwater and soil, or some raw material used in the manufacture of finished products.

“A huge food safety initiative needs to be taken on a pan-India basis over a period of one year, to understand the genuine issue in different geographical locations in India. This will bring to light solutions that could be put in place to entirely eliminate any problem of contamination. This will help generate a scientific database on contaminants for the missing commodities like fresh fruits and vegetables, which are major ingredients in fast foods, for which we have no data in place. Such a study will help to understand the key areas that need focus going forward, while embarking on a strong food safety initiative in India,” Dr Bhajekar said.

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Uday Annapure, past president of the Mumbai chapter of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India, admitted that the food technology industry in India, at present, does not have any scientific database for raw material to rely on. “At present we are dependent on the methodologies given by the European Union Standards or FSSAI/ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but one must understand that different studies are analysed using different methodologies, which are mentioned in various journals. Unfortunately we have no standard, scientifically approved database even at the national level.

Even the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) database is too old and has not been updated for years. A regularly updated database is needed especially when the environmental factors are changing i.e., climate, water, soil quality and, ultimately, the end produce is affected, disturbing the ecological food chain pattern. It high time that the government authorities take this seriously and budgetary provisions are made for carrying out research-based food analysis and data collection for the future in context to India’s scenario.”

Dr Shobha A Udipi, professor and head, department of food science and nutrition, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, added, “We do not even have a database on nutritional values of processed food. Such research and studies are expensive and require high-tech equipment, chemicals, etc., for conducting such a large-scale study; it will be unfair to expect everything from the government. We need scientific infrastructure built by funding scientists or groups of scientists to carry out extensive research.

There has to be continuous awareness and knowledge-sharing on food quality and nutrition, for which academicians, scientists, and the media should, without sensationalism, place true information before consumers.” Another senior scientist who did not wish to be identified has expressed serious concerns, stating that the FSSAI and the government should take serious note of the current row over noodles.

“We are coming up with standards left, right and centre, rather than carrying out a high-level probe about the manner in which licences were granted to companies involved in the instant food business, without even conducting periodic checks. Failing this, they become easy target in the hands of the FDA officials.”

The scientist added, “Rice grown in West Bengal will have high levels of arsenic, as the soil itself is contaminated there; wheat from Punjab is bound to show high levels of phosphorus as pesticides and fertilisers are used rampantly there. Unless there is a scientific database approved by the FSSAI or FDA, showing the permissible limit of heavy metals for raw material, it will only cause such issues again and again.”

Maggi in UP

While most states in the country have banned the sale of Maggi, Uttar Pradesh whose FDA authority carried out the tests and found MSG beyond permissible limits is still allowing the sale of the noodles. mid-day spoke to the officer who was instrumental in these tests V K Pandey, the district officer of Barabanki, UP FDA. He said, “We have done our job, but the question why Maggi has not been banned in UP can only be answered by my Commissioner (FDA), Praveen Kumar Singh, or the state government. I cannot say anything further.”

Dubai Maggi vs Indian Maggi

mid-day got two Maggi packets one available in India and another from Dubai tested at the same institute’s laboratory, and found that no lead was present up to the PPT (Parts Per Trillion) level in either the noodles or the tastemaker masala packets.

Dubai Maggi (left) and the Indian version. Pic/Atul Kamble

However, the Dubai noodles showed presence of MSG to a level of 21.38 ppm (parts per million) and its tastemaker had MSG of 512 ppm, as compared to its Indian counterpart, which had 130 ppm of MSG in the noodles and 380 ppm in the tastemaker. Both findings are said to be within the permissible limit and no other heavy metals were found in the tastemakers.

Food manufacturer says

A senior official attached to an instant-food processing company said, “The onus is on the manufacturer to formulate the end product to the level of prescribed limits that the regulating agencies have listed. The problem is that the APMCs of various states do not even allow manufacturers to train and have direct access to farmers, so that they (manufacturing firms) can ensure that the quality methodology of cultivation is adopted in order to get the best quality produce (vegetables and fruits). But even that is not allowed.”

FDA speak

Harshadeep Kamble, Maharashtra FDA Commissioner, told mid-day, “The product approval licence is given by the FSSAI and they are the one to decide on the permissible limits of heavy metals and minerals. The question needs to be put to FSSAI authorities, as they have the national data and are better equipped to look into the need to have such scientific data.”

Nestle in India

>> The company commenced business in India in 1912 

>> It began local manufacturing in 1961 and expanded to 8 factories; Maggi production has stopped in these units

>> It provides direct employment to around 7,000 people

300 million

Number of packets of Maggi that have been recalled from all over the company.

FDA sends other brands' pasta, macaroni for testing

FDA said not just the level of monosodium glutamate, it also needs to look into more than 10 parameters in these products. It's a time-consuming process and will take more than two weeks for the final reports, said an officer.

After the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an order to test all brands of noodles, pasta and macaroni present in the market, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started the process of gathering all the products for testing. It is taking the help of private laboratories recognised by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

FDA said not just the level of monosodium glutamate, it also needs to look into more than 10 parameters in these products. It's a time-consuming process and will take more than two weeks for the final reports, said an officer.

The move has come after the FSSAI came out with a list of the products, including noodles, pastas and macaroni (with Tastemaker), and sent it to all the state FDAs, asking them to conduct the relevant tests.

"We have started the work... besides taking the help of NABL-recognised private laboratories, we are also taking the help of the medical education laboratory. We have two labs of our own as well. This time, we have a number of parameters to check and, hence, need more time. In two weeks, we will come with the report," said Harshadeep Kamble, FDA commissioner.

"We are also planning to set up six more laboratories in different areas of the state."

The products of eight-odd firms are under scanner. The products include CG Foods India Pvt Ltd's three variants of Wai Wai noodles, Ruchi International's Koka Instant Noodles, ITC Ltd's three variants of Sunfeast Yippee noodles, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd's 10 variants of Foodles, Indo Nissin Food Ltd's Top Ramen Atta Masala and AA Nutrition Ltd's Yummy Chicken and vegetable noodles. Nestle India Ltd's macaroni and penne pasta offerings are also under observation.

The FDA will carry out a physical examination for mould, live and dead insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination (hair, excreta), and fungus visible to the naked eye. Test to check added natural colours and heavy metals (lead, copper, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and zinc) will also be done.

Haven't Received Maggi Test Results From Food Safety Regulator, Says Nestle

HASSANGARH, HARYANA: Nestle India on Monday said the reports of food safety regulator FSSAI which termed its Maggi noodles "unsafe", have still not been received by the company.

"We are yet to receive the reports of tests done on Maggi samples by the FSSAI," Himanshu Manglik, head of corporate communications at Nestle India, told IANS during a media briefing here at one of Nestle India's distribution centres.

Mr Manglik said there was also no formal sharing of test reports done by the states, which have banned Maggi noodles.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered Nestle India to withdraw Maggi noodles after tests by labs on some samples were reportedly found to contain higher-than-permissible levels of lead - a finding that was rejected by the company, which said its own independent tests suggested otherwise.

The company has halted the production of Maggi noodles in India since June 5, when the product was decided to be recalled from the market.

Nestle has since moved the Bombay High Court, challenging the order of the food regulator.

The court has now issued notice to the FSSAI, and other respondents and posted the matter for hearing on June 30.

Maggi heads to cement plants

10,000 trucks, 6 cement plants to destroy 27,000 tonnes of Maggi

It will take at least 40 days to destroy Nestle’s available stock of the ‘two-minute noodles’

Nestle is conducting a recall of its Maggi noodles after a few states banned it over the alleged presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and high levels of lead. 

Sampla (Haryana): More than 27,000 tonnes of noodles, recalled from 3.5 million retail outlets, with 10,000 trucks transporting them for incineration. Those are the kinds of mind-boggling figures NestleIndia is looking at, 10 days from the launch of its drive to recall and destroy Maggi noodles—a task that will need the help of an army of workers.

It will take at least 40 days to destroy Nestle’s available stock of the ‘two-minute noodles’.

The mandate for about 1,600 people directly engaged with Nestle India’s sales has changed in the aftermath of the controversy over Maggi instant noodles—ordered withdrawn over the alleged presence of monosodium glutamate and high levels of lead.

Starting 5 June, these people no longer drive sales. Rather, they have been working to ensure that the Swiss food company completes the process of recalling Maggi noodles from all its distributors and retailers—if not all packets of the popular snack, as much as is possible.

Apart from its own sales force, there are about 12,000 people associated with Nestle’s distributor network engaged in the ongoing recall of Maggi noodles.

In one of the largest recalls in Nestle’s history, the Swiss multinational’s Indian entity, which has been in business for more than 100 years, is in the process of recalling 27,420 tonnes of Maggi noodles, according to the company’s latest estimates.

Nestle India estimates that it would be destroying Maggi noodles worth `320 crore, after the food safety regulator’s 5 June order to recall the product from the market.

Of the 27,420 tonnes, about 1,422 tonnes were at Nestle India’s five factories, which have now stopped producing Maggi noodles; about 8,975 tonnes were in its 38 distribution centres; about 7,000 tonnes were with distributors; and about 10,020 tonnes with retailers that Nestle could track.

That makes for about four million cartons, consisting of 96 units of 70g packs, that need to be recalled from 1,400 distributors that connect over 3.5 million retails outlets across the country. Of these, just about 1.5 million retail outlets are under the direct control of Nestle India.

“The entire recall process is huge and complex,” Luca Fichera, executive vice-president (supply chain), Nestle India, said in Sampla, a major distribution hub for the company.

And to recall these Maggi noodles off the shelves of outlets, Nestle will need around 10,000 trucks, according to the company’s estimates.

As part of the exercise, Nestle India is using more than 50% of the space across all its 38 distribution centres in India just to stock the recalled Maggi noodles before they are re-packed and sent for incineration at select cement plants.

“We don’t have enough space available to keep all. We have already taken 12 storage spaces additionally to keep the recalled noodles,” said Ashish Pande, head of supply chain operations (India), Nestle India.

The task is complex and enormous. Between 9 and 13 June, Nestle India had managed to destroy just 169 tonnes of Maggi noodles—at three cement plants, where the noodles are crushed and then mixed with fuel and burnt in incinerators. The process, said Fichera, is approved by the Indian government and has minimum possible impact on the environment. Nestle will engage five to six such cement plants to destroy the recalled noodles.

“Once in full swing, all five or six cement plans together will be able to destroy about 700 tonnes of noodles every day,” added Fichera.

“It will take minimum 40 days just to destroy these noodles. However, 27,420 tonnes is our estimate. There may be more that could also be recalled which will take much more time. Our estimate is till the distributors’ and retailers’ level, not till the consumers’ level,” he adds.

Nestle India had, till 13 June, recalled 5,635 tonnes of Maggi noodles which now are either stocked at its distribution centres or in transit to the cement plans for incineration. Additionally, about 5,848 tonnes of Maggi noodles have been recalled from the market and are stuck with the distributors.

“The estimated sales value of the stock in the market, including that with its trade partners, is around `210 crore,” Nestle India said in a statement to the BSE on Monday. In addition, Maggi noodles and related material at Nestle India’s factories and distribution centres are estimated to be worth `110 crore. The company said these are broad estimates as it is impossible to calculate the final figure while the withdrawal is taking place.

About 40% of the Maggi noodles currently in the market is not under the control of Nestle India. “We don’t know when they would come back to us,” says Pande.

To manage the recall process efficiently, Nestle India has been hiring about 30-40% additional daily workers at each of its 38 distribution centres, and work is going on in two 8-hour shifts daily. Normally, they work single shifts.

Retailers are being paid in cash or by credit, as per their preferences, said Fichera.

As Nestle India has stopped production in all five Maggi factories, all of the regular workers at these factories have stopped active work. “Some have been engaged in other works, some in the recall process, and some are sitting at home,” said Fichera, adding, “It’s a paid holiday for them.”

But the contract workers whom Nestle India hires on a daily basis will not be required at its factories for some more days until the ongoing recall of Maggi noodles is over.

According to Fichera, the costs involved would be much higher than the estimated `320 crore that the company has disclosed. “That’s just the cost of the material. There are costs for logistics, packaging, transport, handling and storage. And, Nestle India is also paying the cement plants for destruction of the noodles. Overall, it’s a huge complex exercise which we have never done before at Nestle India.”

Abneesh Roy, associate director (institutional equities research), Edelweiss Securities Ltd, said, “Nestle India will recognize the estimated loss as an exceptional loss in its profit and loss account for calendar year 2015. In relation to the `210 crore which has been sold, the sales value will be taken as sales return and inventory will need to be destroyed. Overall the total impact will be of `320 crore on profit before tax. This is 18% of the profit before tax of CY14 (calendar year). The likely impact is expected to come in Q2CY15/Q3CY15. Additional to this, there will be additional expenses relating to transportation, destruction etc which will further impact profitability.”

Meanwhile, the Australian government’s department of agriculture has issued a “holding order” against Maggi, news agency PTI said. This would apply to all Maggi noodles imported to Australia from India, the department said on 11 June.

“Under the holding order, each consignment will be held in a place to be approved by an authorized officer until it has been inspected, or inspected and analysed, in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Imported Food Inspection Scheme,” it said.

Maggi has also come on the radar of the US Food and Drug Administration, which has taken samples of the instant noodles brand for testing.

Not a 2-minute exercise: Nestle India struggles with Rs 320-cr Maggi recall as noodles go up in flames

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has asked state food safety commissioners to inspect and evaluate all packaged products available in markets.

Nestle India is withdrawing and destroying thousands of tonnes of Maggi noodles worth more than Rs 320 crore as ordered by the Indian food regulator, but there is still quite a distance to go.

The company has brought back 11,483 tonnes of Maggi from 1,400 distributors. This is less than half of the 27,420 tonnes that were available in the market when the recall was announced. In the last five days, since it began burning packets on June 9, a mere 169 tonnes have been destroyed.

"The actual recall of Maggi noodles from the market is an immensely complex and a mammoth activity - the largest in the history of Nestle," Luca Fichera, executive vice-president of the supply chain in India, said in the Haryana town of Hassangarh, some 90-odd km from the national capital.

Food giant Nestle has been battling its worst-ever branding crisis in India since the regulator in Uttar Pradesh found monosodium glutamate (MSG) and excess lead in a sample of its hugely popular noodles.

"The estimated sales value of the stock in the market, including those with our trade partners is around Rs 210 crore. In addition, there were Maggi noodles and related materials in our factories and distribution centres... the estimated value of these is Rs 110 crore," Nestle India told the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The task before Nestle India as ordered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is enormous. Nestle India said a good part of its Maggi stock was being incinerated at five cement factories across the country into fuel.

About 40% of the 27,420 tonnes are no longer in cartons but on the shelves of retailers or at homes. Sources who did not wish to be named said some of these packets would be impossible to retrieve.

Maggi continues to be available for sale in many small towns and villages. HT visited villages near one of Nestle India's 38 distribution centres, at Hasangarh in Rohtak district.

One shop in the village of Mandora was selling Maggi Masala, though the owner, who refused to be named, claimed he had given back his stock. Only a few packs remained, he said. However, the shop next to his was well stocked.

Nestle has hired the furnaces of some cement manufacturers for the destruction exercise. The packets are crushed with the ingredients inside, and then incinerated. But with the company facing labour shortage at the factories, the process is likely to get stretched.

"The trust of our consumers is extremely important for us and despite the enormity, we are focused on completing this efficiently and as fast as feasible," Fichera added.

"There are 38 distribution centres in India, 1,400 distributors and 3.5 million retailers. We have control over only 1.5 million retailers and outlets. We can track the recall only there," said Fichera.

By Saturday, 5,848 tonnes of Maggi noodles were collected from the market shelves by Nestle distributors and 5,635 tonnes of noodles reached distribution centres from where 169 tonnes of noodles were incinerated so far. The process of incineration has been operational since June 9.

Ashish Pande, the head of supply chain in India, said, "We need to source over 1.4 million cartons to transport all the Maggi packets to our facilities, as they are no longer in cartons but in packets on the shelves. This also involves thousands of trucks and manpower to collect the packets."

The current capacity of destruction is 700 tonnes of Maggi noodles across five incineration facilities. It will take at least 40 days to completely destroy 27,420 tonnes, Pande said.

"This was the most environment friendly solution to destroy the recalled Maggi noodles -- to convert them into fuel," said Fichera.

The regulator had ordered Nestle to withdraw Maggi noodles after food safety concerns.

Nestle since moved the Bombay high court, challenging the order. The court has issued notice to the FSSAI, the regulator, and other respondents and posted the matter for hearing on June 30.

Among other matters, the Swiss multinational firm has urged the court to quash the June 5 order asking the company to withdraw and recall all its nine Maggi variants and the oats noodles from the Indian market.

The company said it halted the production of Maggi noodles in its factories since June 5 and decided to withdraw it from the market. It has continued to maintain: "Maggi is safe for consumption."

Submit Maggi analysis report in 10 days: HC to Uttarakhand

NAINITAL: Uttarakhand high court on Monday ordered the state government to submit analysis report of the Maggi samples as an affidavit within next 10 days. The court was hearing a case by Nestle India, the product's manufacturer, who moved HC against the three-month ban imposed by the Uttrakhand government on the instant noodle. 

"The court asked us to submit the report of the food analyst through affidavit. The HC did not give any interim order for now and scheduled the next hearing in the case on July 20," said Subhash Upadhyay, chief standing counsel. 

The writ Nestle India filed on June 5 also requested that due process of law was not followed by the state government and the ban order is "without jurisdiction". On the contrary, the state government argued that the ban was imposed using relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. 

Meanwhile, the latest and final report prepared by state food and medicine analysis office in Rudrapur indicated that 37, of 55 samples, collected from the 13 districts of the hill state contained more than permissible lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) content. 

State's food security department decided to ban Maggie on June 3, after lead and MSG contents were detected in the product. Series of raids in the districts of Kumaon division resulted in seizure of tonnes of instant noodle. Thousands of packets were seized recently by the district administration of Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Bageshwar, Champawat and Pithoragarh. 

The production units of Nestle in SIDCUL (State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited), Udham Singh Nagar have stopped the production of Maggi for now. All the five units in the factory used to produce around 300 tonnes of Maggi noodles for sale and supply in the state and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh.

DINAMALAR NEWS