LONDON: Britain has started investigation into the quality of Maggi being sold in UK across Indian shops.
In an exclusive interview to TOI, UK's Food Standards Agency has said that it has received lab reports from India of Maggi samples and is working with the European Commission to see if packs sold in UK have high levels of lead as found in that in India.
FSA in UK is equivalent to India's Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) which carried out tests on Maggi.
They found high content of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG (a taste enhancer) in it.
Four states - Delhi, Gujarat, J&K and Uttarakhand have already banned Maggi for varying periods while almost every state in India have announced tests of Maggi noodles.
The FSA told TO "The FSA is aware of the recent incident in India involving Maggi Noodles. We are currently working with Nestle and the European Commission to investigate a report of higher than expected levels of Lead and undeclared MSG in Maggi Noodles".
"We have received lab reports from India after tests were carried out in accredited labs. We have an incidence team that is now investigating the matter in UK. We have been in contact with Nestle".
The official added "Nestle UK have informed the FSA that they currently only import one flavour of 'Maggi 2 Minute Noodles' (masala flavour) from India. The batch of noodles originally tested by the authorities in India was not sold in the UK. Other flavour Maggi noodles are not imported from India but from other Nestle factories in other countries."
Nestle meanwhile has said it has tested around 1,000 batches of Maggi noodles in their own laboratories and also asked an independent lab to test an additional 600 product batches. Almost 125 million or 12.5 Crore packets were tested in total.
Nestle said "Trace amounts of lead are present in the atmosphere and in the soil around the world due to the use of fertilisers and pest control. The authorities have set firm limits to ensure that any lead present in a finished product are within recommended food safety levels and safe to consume. We regularly monitor all our raw materials for lead, including testing by accredited laboratories".
In an exclusive interview to TOI, UK's Food Standards Agency has said that it has received lab reports from India of Maggi samples and is working with the European Commission to see if packs sold in UK have high levels of lead as found in that in India.
FSA in UK is equivalent to India's Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) which carried out tests on Maggi.
They found high content of lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG (a taste enhancer) in it.
Four states - Delhi, Gujarat, J&K and Uttarakhand have already banned Maggi for varying periods while almost every state in India have announced tests of Maggi noodles.
The FSA told TO "The FSA is aware of the recent incident in India involving Maggi Noodles. We are currently working with Nestle and the European Commission to investigate a report of higher than expected levels of Lead and undeclared MSG in Maggi Noodles".
"We have received lab reports from India after tests were carried out in accredited labs. We have an incidence team that is now investigating the matter in UK. We have been in contact with Nestle".
The official added "Nestle UK have informed the FSA that they currently only import one flavour of 'Maggi 2 Minute Noodles' (masala flavour) from India. The batch of noodles originally tested by the authorities in India was not sold in the UK. Other flavour Maggi noodles are not imported from India but from other Nestle factories in other countries."
Nestle meanwhile has said it has tested around 1,000 batches of Maggi noodles in their own laboratories and also asked an independent lab to test an additional 600 product batches. Almost 125 million or 12.5 Crore packets were tested in total.
Nestle said "Trace amounts of lead are present in the atmosphere and in the soil around the world due to the use of fertilisers and pest control. The authorities have set firm limits to ensure that any lead present in a finished product are within recommended food safety levels and safe to consume. We regularly monitor all our raw materials for lead, including testing by accredited laboratories".
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