Maggi's unending woes: Maharashtra Govt to approach SC

State food ministry confirms it will challenge Bombay HC order striking down FSSAI ban on Maggi noodles
Nestle's woes with the Indian authorities with its instant noodle brand Maggi seems to be unending even after clearing the test mandated by the Bombay High Court.
Girish Bapat, cabinet minister for food, civil supplies and consumer protection, food and drugs administration, in Government of Maharashtra said that they are mulling over taking the case to the highest judicial body of the country.
"We have sought legal opinion on the issue within the government and the opinion suggests that we must challenge the Bombay HC decision in the Supreme Court. So we will go ahead," said Bapat at the sidelines of a BJP event at Pune.
The Bombay High Court had on August 13 struck down a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ban on Maggi noodles and ordered fresh tests. The Court had asked the company to retest at three National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
Earlier this week, in a statement Nestle India said that the laboratories nominated by the Bombay High Court found lead below permissible limits in all 90 samples of six variants of Maggi noodles sent for testing.
However, the company had also stated that "Actual sale would start only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the designated three laboratories".
"Re-starting the manufacturing process and bringing Maggi noodles to the market is a lengthy and complex process, which requires alignment with several stakeholders, including our suppliers, distributors and retailers. Five of our eight plants have the capacity to manufacture Maggi noodles and all of these use state-of-the-art technology, follow the same stringent standards, are FSSC 22000-certified and all Nestle India plants maintain the same high quality. Now that we have received the test results mandated by the Bombay High Court, we will evaluate where we can accelerate the process of re-starting under the current circumstances," said a Nestle India spokesperson.

Nestle's Woes Continue, Live Insect Found Inside Baby Product Lactogen

Meenu and Sachin Sharma had bought Lactogen powder boxes in bulk for their child a few days back. They had even fed a carton to the infant. It was only when they opened the second box did they get the shock of their lives- a live insect inside the carton.

They immediately made a phone call to a team of food and drugs department and lodged an official complaint. The complaint led to a raid of the shop in Ghaziabad for selling suspicious content to the public. It is also alleged that the child had been feeling unwell after consuming the powder.

This isn't the first time an incident like this has happened. In June this year insect larvae was found in milk powder for kids. This mentally scarring incident comes into light just when Nestle got a go-ahead to resume the production of their most prized product, Maggi. We hope the child is safe and healthy.

Will Maggi Noodles be Back on the Shelves? Story So Far

Nestle India announced on Friday that a hundred percent of the Maggi instant noodles’ samples tested in the three laboratories recommended by the Bombay High Court have been found safe for consumption. This comes as a huge victory for Nestle India and for those who’ve missed Maggi. But there’s just one more hurdle Maggi noodles need to jump through.
Nestle India on Friday said all samples of its Maggi noodles have passed the required tests as directed by the Bombay High Court but it would hit the market after some time as the newly-manufactured product has to go through fresh tests.
"The manufactured products will undergo fresh tests at the three National Accreditation Board For Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) labs in Mohali, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Once the tests confirm lead within permissible limits, we shall proceed with the sale of the noodles," a company spokesperson told IANS.
"Coming back to the market is complex and requires alignment with several stakeholders, including our suppliers, distributors and retailers, among others," the spokesperson added. On June 5, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered a nationwide ban on the company's noodles on the ground that these were "unsafe and hazardous" for human consumption due to presence of lead allegedly beyond permissible limits.
"All 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by the three laboratories, are clear, with lead much below the permissible limits," the Nestle statement added.
The company assured it would continue to collaborate with the Indian food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and other stakeholders on the issue. "In compliance with the Bombay High Court orders, we will now commence manufacture and will begin selling only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the three designated laboratories. We are committed to reintroduce our Maggi noodles (in the Indian market) at the earliest," Nestle said.
In the past few months, Nestle conducted around 3,500 tests representing 200 million packs in national and international accredited laboratories and all reports were clear. Besides, tests in several other countries like the US, Britain, Australia and Singapore also found Maggi noodles manufactured in India safe for human consumption.
In June, the FSSAI ordered a nationwide ban on the company's noodles on the ground that these were "unsafe and hazardous" for human consumption due to presence of lead allegedly beyond permissible limits. The MNC withdrew its instant noodles from the Indian market as a result and moved the Bombay High Court against the FSSAI ban.
A division bench comprising Justices V.M. Kanade and B.P. Colabawalla in August set aside the June 5 order of the FSSAI and also quashed an order of Maharashtra's Food and Drugs Administration banning production and sale of Maggi noodles in India and the state. The court, however, ordered fresh test on Maggi noodles' samples at three independent labs across India.
Nestle India was directed to send five samples of each variant to accredited labs in Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur and asked the labs to give reports within six weeks. The consumer affairs ministry filed a class action suit against Nestle India, seeking about Rs.640 crore in damages for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.
It was for the first time that the ministry dragged a company to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) under the Consumer Protection Act. However, the apex consumer court on Thursday ordered fresh tests on 13 samples of Maggi noodles from nine batches to determine lead and "MSG stock glutamate" content.
Nestle India on September 30 said that due to the ban, over 9,000 suppliers of Maggi noodles had gone out of business. Over 10,000-12,000 distributors also lost their livelihood. The company said it wished to resolve the matter as soon as possible and was "not interested in delaying it".
Suresh Narayanan, the India chief of the company, earlier said the "focus of the company is to get Nestle back on the shelves" and added that the "controversy had cast a shadow over Nestle's portfolio”. Narayanan told the media that the multinational company was targeting to get the product into the Indian market by the year-end.
Meanwhile, the shares of Nestle India rose by 5.6 percent to Rs.6,555, the biggest gain since August 5. The shares had plunged after FSSAI's recall order which resulted in the company's first ever quarterly loss in more than 15 years.

2 minute Magic to be on table in 2 months, says Nestle

Ban doesn't deter gutka consumers

Over 70% food joints in Jharkhand are without food safety licence

Food safety officials say that in Ranchi alone just 10% of around 6,000 businesses have the licence and coverage was almost same in Jamshedpur and Dhanbad

This festive season, as you go pandal-hopping, watch what you eat from the streets.
More than 70% small and big restaurants, stalls and on-wheel counters and retail stores involved in the food business do not have the mandatory food safety licence from the Jharkhand government to operate, according to food safety officials’ estimates.
Reason: The Jharkhand food safety directorate doesn’t have adequate food inspectors to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
The FSSA makes it mandatory for a person or firm in the food trade to have a FSSA licence, which ensures that food items being sold are safe and unadulterated.
Currently the state has seven food inspectors for 24-districts and its additional 188 medical officers who doubled up as food safety officers have hardly been able to execute their additional duties.
“The state must make recruitments. The medical officer plan has hardly worked, as they are already overburdened with daily hospital and health centre work. They hardly sent food samples, conduct raids or serve notices to unlicenced or illegal food businesses,” said a senior food safety official, on anonymity as he is not allowed to speak to the media.
Food safety officials said that in Ranchi alone just 10% of roughly around 6,000 businesses have the licence and coverage was almost same in Jamshedpur and Dhanbad- Bokaro.
“We have already started the process if recruiting 24 food inspectors,” said director-in-chief Jharkhand food safety, Dr Praveen Chandra
“The registrations are tepid, this year till June we have just received 514 applications, most of them being from the Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.”

According to food safety directorate, since the FSSA was implemented in Jharkhand in 2013, just over 3,500 businesses have applied for registration and licence.
Chandra added that the department was surprised why food businesses were ignoring the FSSA despite the paltry registration fee and it had decided to increase awareness drives.
For businesses with less than `12 lakh turnover, the registration fee is `100, those with `12 lakh to `25 lakh turnover it was `5,000 and for turnover above `25 lakh it was `7,500.
Last year, officials slapped notices on more than a 100 food outlets for selling sub-standard and adulterated food during Durga Puja and Diwali as none had the FSSA licence.
Officials said that risk of consumption of sub-standard food, which causes food poisoning and serious stomach illnesses, increase during festivals with people eating outside on most days.
Chandra added that to cap sale of adulterated food in the state during the festive season the state had asked district officials to increase and start raid on food outlets.
Nimai Chaudhary, owner of a fast food stall at Firayalal Chowk said, “We don’t have any information on licence or how to get it. The department must inform us.”

Food panel to keep junk out of schools

Schools may soon have to stop serving food high in fat, sugar and salt under the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Unhealthy diets lead to metabolic changes and conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Schools may soon have to stop serving food high in fat, sugar and salt, including deep-fried snacks like samosa and chana bhatura, under the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The authority has issued draft guidelines on wholesome and nutritious food availability in schools that would be converted into a regulation in due course after following the prescribed process of inviting comments and suggestions from various stakeholders.
The guidelines, officials claim, would help control consumption of junk food among school children in India. Prepared by the an expert committee constituted by FSSAI, the guidelines provide a scientific background on how consumption of junk food high in fat, salt and sugar is linked with growing non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension among children.
The draft guidelines have suggested a new policy for school canteens along with ban on sale of junk food in and around schools. "Canteens in schools should not be treated as commercial outlets. They have a social responsibility towards inculcating healthy eating behaviours. They should motivate children to consume healthy and hygienic food. A suitable canteen policy that ensures nutritious, wholesome and healthy food for children should be developed in consultation with the health ministry and education ministry," said the official.
"Unhealthy diet leads to metabolic changes and conditions such as overweight, high blood pressure, raised blood glucose and cholesterol, which are among the leading causes of no communicable disease deaths in India," said a senior official in FSSAI.
"Numerous studies conducted on school children of Delhi, Amritsar and Southern India show the increasing rate of obesity. In urban post-pubertal children, it has increased from 16 per cent (2002) to about 24 per cent (2006). It is high among the affluent class and children of private schools compared to low and middle-income groups," the official said.
NGOs have responded in positive to the guidelines. "We welcome the order issued by the food authority. It is important to regulate junk food in schools," said Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment.

FSSAI takes junk food off school menu

NEW DELHI: The country's top food regulator is set to restrict consumption and availability of junk food in schools. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft guidelines on availability of wholesome and nutritious food in schools to control junk food consumption among children.
The draft guidelines propose to restrict sale or availability of food which are high in fat, salt or sugar content within 50 metres of schools' premises. This includes an array of food and beverages consumed by school children including chips, ready-to-eat noodles, pizzas, burgers, sugar-sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, potato fries (commonly called French fries) and confectionery items.
The draft guidelines have also suggested creation of a canteen policy and school health education programmes to make students and parents aware of the ill-effects of unhealthy food habits.
"The identified foods are based on an evaluation done out of available similar foods in India. They are considered unhealthy due to imbalance in nutrients i.e high in fat, sugar, salt and/or low proteins, fibres and nuts," said the draft.
The guidelines also say that the benefits of balanced, fresh and traditional food cannot be replaced; schools should not promote food items high in fat, salt and sugar and that children are not the best judge of their food choices.
The FSSAI's move was triggered by the Delhi High Court's directive in July-end, giving three months to the authorities to monitor availability of junk food in schools. Various health groups have been advocating against availability and sale of unhealthy food in schools.
"We welcome the order issued by the food authority. It is important that junk food is regulated in schools. However, we are not sure why it is taking so much time to be implemented," said Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment.

Maggi will be back soon, tests show noodle is safe

Maggi has been off shelves since June after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) imposed a nationwide ban after finding it “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption following tests in some laboratories.
It may not be just two minutes, but consumers can look forward to having their Maggi noodles soon. Nestle India on Friday said that three laboratories mandated by the Bombay High Court to test samples of the snack afresh showed that the lead content in the instant noodle is below the permissible limit.
“In compliance with the orders of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, we will now commence manufacture and will start selling only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the designated three laboratories. We are committed to reintroduce our beloved Maggi noodles at the earliest,” the company said in a statement.
Maggi has been off shelves since June after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) imposed a nationwide ban after finding it “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption following tests in some laboratories.
The company challenged the decision in the Bombay High Court, which revoked the ban but said the samples should be tested in government-accredited laboratories and, if found safe, the product can be retailed in the market.
“All 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by three laboratories are clear with lead much below permissible limits,”Nestle said.
Paul Bulke, Nestle’s global CEO, had assured consumers in India during his visit in June that the snack is safe to consume, that it was just a bad phase, and that Maggi would soon be back on the shelves.
The company had stated earlier that the instant noodle, which had cornered an 80% market share before it was made to be taken off the shelves, will be back by the end of this year.
The ban led Nestle to destroy 27,000 tonnes of Maggi, ferried by 10,000 trucks to six cement plants where it was burnt, worth an estimated R320 crore. The company took a big hit as Maggi made up to 40% of Nestle’s India revenue.
At an individual level, Nestle India conducted 3,500 tests over 200 million packets in both national as well as internationally accredited laboratories. All the reports, the company statement said, are clear. “In addition to these, various countries including USA, UK, Singapore, Australia and others have found Maggi Noodles manufactured in India safe for consumption,” Nestle said.

Sale of Maggi noodles only after fresh NABL tests: Nestle

New Delhi: Nestle India on Friday said all samples of its Maggi noodles have passed the required tests as directed by the Bombay High Court but it would hit the market after some time as the newly-manufactured product has to go through fresh tests.
"The manufactured products will undergo fresh tests at the three National Accreditation Board For Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) labs in Mohali, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Once the tests confirm lead within permissible limits, we shall proceed with the sale of the noodles," a company spokesperson told IANS.
"Coming back to the market is complex and requires alignment with several stakeholders, including our suppliers, distributors and retailers, among others," the spokesperson added.
On June 5, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ordered a nationwide ban on the company's noodles on the ground that these were "unsafe and hazardous" for human consumption due to presence of lead allegedly beyond permissible limits.

Maggi clears HC test, won't be back in 2 minutes

Emphasising that Maggi noodles are safe, Nestle India said it has conducted over 3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories and all reports are clear
Nestle India on Friday announced that it would start making Maggi noodles again as all samples of the brand have been tested and cleared by the three laboratories mandated by the Bombay High Court.
The judges had ordered the company to send five samples of each variant to three accredited labs in Punjab, Hyderabad and Jaipur and asked the labs to give reports within six weeks. However, it will take some time for the snack to be back on shelves as the company said it will only sell it after the three designated labs also clear the newly manufactured products.
"We have received test results from all three laboratories mandated by the Bombay High Court to test Maggi noodles samples. All the 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by these laboratories are clear with lead much below the permissible limits," Nestle India said in a statement.
The company, which had earlier said it was planning to bring back the Maggi noodles in the market by the end of this year end, said it is committed to reintroducing Maggi noodles at the earliest.
Emphasising that Maggi noodles are safe, Nestle India said it has conducted over 3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories and all reports are clear.
In addition to these, various countries, including the US, the UK, Singapore, Australia and others have found Maggi noodles manufactured in India safe for consumption, it added.
Nestle will continue to collaborate with the FSSAI, the apex food regulator and other stakeholders, the company said.
In June, the FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles saying it was unsafe and hazardous for consumption after finding lead levels beyond permissible limits. The company had withdrawn the instant noodles from the market.
Nestle India had challenged the ban in the Bombay High Court. In August, the court lifted the nationwide ban imposed by the Indian food regulator on Maggi noodles but ordered a fresh test of the samples in three independent labs.
The HC had observed: "It is not in dispute that the laboratories in which these food samples were tested were either not accredited by NABL or not recognised by the Food Authority under Section 43(1) of the Act or even if they were accredited or notified, they were not accredited to make analysis in respect of lead in the samples."
A Division Bench comprising Justices VM Kanade and BP Colabawalla also set aside the June 5 order of the FSSAI. It also quashed the order of Maharashtra's Food and Drugs Administration banning production and sale of Maggi noodles in India and the state.

Maggi passes safety test

DINAMANI NEWS

சேலம் மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் தொடங்கி வைத்தார்: நுகர்வோர் விழிப்புணர்வு பிரசார வாகனம்

சேலம், அக்.17-நுகர்வோர் விழிப்புணர்வு குறித்த தகவல்களை மேம்படுத்தவும், நுகர்வோர் உரிமைகள் பற்றிய விழிப்புணர்வு தகவல்களை அடித்தட்டு மக்களுக்கும் கொண்டு செல்லும் நோக்கிலும் மாவட்ட உணவுப்பொருள் வழங்கல் மற்றும் நுகர்வோர் பாதுகாப்புத்துறை சார்பில் விழிப்புணர்வு பிரசார வாகனம் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டது. சேலம் மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் இருந்து புறப்பட்ட வாகனத்தை மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் செல்வராஜ் கொடியசைத்து தொடங்கி வைத்தார். நிகழ்ச்சியில் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா, தமிழ்நாடு நுகர்வோர் மற்றும் மக்கள் உரிமையியல் புலனாய்வு கமிட்டி தலைவர் வக்கீல் செல்வம் மற்றும் தொழிலாளர் துறையினர், பள்ளி மாணவ-மாணவிகள் கலந்துகொண்டனர்.
நுகர்வோர் விழிப்புணர்வு வாகனமானது சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் வருகிற 23-ந் தேதிவரை பல்வேறு இடங்களுக்கு சென்று பிரசாரம் மேற்கொள்ளும் என மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் செல்வராஜ் தெரிவித்தார்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

பெண் அதிகாரியை மிரட்டிய வழக்கு: ரியல் எஸ்டேட் அதிபருக்கு நிபந்தனை முன்ஜாமீன்

சேலம், அக்.17-சேலம் மெய்யனூரில் இயங்கி வரும் பிரபல ரியல் எஸ்டேட் நிறுவன உரிமையாளர் சிவகுமார். இவர் சமீபத்தில் நெல்லிக்காய் சாறு தயாரித்து விற்கும் தொழிலை நடத்தினார். அந்த நெல்லிசாறு பாட்டிலில் சோதனை நடத்தியபோது, அதில் ரசாயனம் கலந்திருப்பதாக கூறி மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா, நெல்லிச்சாறு விற்பனைக்கு தடை விதித்தார். மேலும் விளக்கம் கேட்டு நோட்டீசும் அனுப்பினார். இந்த நிலையில் டாக்டர் அனுராதாவுக்கு மிரட்டல் விடுக்கும் வகையில் சிவகுமார் பேசியதாக போலீஸ் கமிஷனர் அமல்ராஜிடம் அவர் புகார் தெரிவித்தார். அதன்பேரில், சேலம் டவுன் போலீசார் வழக்குப்பதிவு செய்து விசாரணை நடத்தி வந்தனர். 

இந்த வழக்கில் தன்னை கைது செய்யக்கூடாது என்று சிவகுமார் சென்னை ஐகோர்ட்டில் முன்ஜாமீன் கேட்டுமனு செய்தார். அங்கு கீழ்கோர்ட்டில் சரண் அடைந்து ஜாமீன்பெற உத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டது. அதன்பேரில் நேற்று சேலம் முதலாவது மாஜிஸ்திரேட்டு கோர்ட்டில் சிவகுமார் சரண் அடைந்தார். அப்போது மாஜிஸ்திரேட்டு, 2 வாரகாலத்திற்கு சேலம் டவுன் போலீஸ் நிலையத்தில் தினமும் காலை 10.30 மணிக்கு ஆஜராகி கையெழுத்திட வேண்டும் என்ற நிபந்தனையின் பேரில் சிவகுமார் ஜாமீனில் விடுவிக்கப்பட்டார்.