India
The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced it may send samples of other noodles brands for testing.
Updated : Jun 04, 2015, 12:12 AM IST
Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said that if excessive amount of lead is found in Maggi, then action will be taken against the company.
A day ago, Paswan had said that the Centre is working on a new law with a provision of life imprisonment to deal with cases in which consumers of essential commodities and food items are duped.
Earlier in the day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government summoned Nestle, after samples of maggi noodles it tested were found unsafe with quantity of lead exceeding the prescribed limit.
“The government had collected 13 maggi samples from Delhi and in 10 samples out of 13, the quantity of lead was found to be quite high,” said Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
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The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced it may send samples of other noodles brands for testing. Read the full report here
Haryana, West Bengal and Maharashtra collect Maggi samples for testing
The Health Department officials in Haryana on Wednesday started lifting samples of Maggi noodles randomly from across the state for laboratory testing amid row over alleged lapses in its food safety standards.
The West Bengal government has sent samples of Maggi noodles too for laboratory testing, state's Consumer Affairs Minister Sadhan Pandey on Wednesday said.
Even in Maharashtra has sent 15 samples from Nashik, Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur for testing.
An FDA official stated, "If lead content is positive in the samples that have been collected, the product will be ban the product with same batch numbers. FDA has the power to initiate against celebrities who have endorsed the product if the result is positive."
Read the full report here: Haryana, West Bengal and Maharashtra collect Maggi samples for testing
Ban on Maggi in Delhi for 15 days
At a press conference to address the Maggi issue, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain declared that Maggi will be banned for 15 days in Delhi.
"We are not fully satisfied with the submission given by Nestle officials today morning. Govt has imposed a ban on Maggi for 15 days," he said at the conference.
He further added, "Company has been directed to remove their stock from market in Delhi. New stock to be brought in only after proper checking. As per prelim report the quantity of lead in Maggi was found to be more than the permissible limit, hence the ban."
Read the full report here: Delhi government bans Maggi for 15 days; demands Nestle India to withdraw existing stock
Amitabh Bachchan makes his stand clear on endorsing Maggi.
"I had stopped endorsing Maggi 2 years ago. I Haven't received any notice till now, as soon as I get it will put it up to my lawyers, we will fully cooperate," he said.
Read full report here: Amitabh Bachchan speaks out on Maggi controversy; says will fully cooperate with law
If excessive amount of lead is found in Maggi, then action will be taken against the company: Ram Vilas Paswan
Food and Safety department officials collect Maggi samples in Ludhiana
Food and Safety department officials collect Maggi samples in Ludhiana. pic.twitter.com/j6Ux30TgiY
— ANI (@ANI_news) June 3, 2015
Nestle has reportedly told Delhi government not go by the media reports saying they are misleading and Health and safety are their priority, reported ANI quoting sources.
* We met the Delhi Health Minister. Have made a representation, he will review it: Sanjay Khajuria, Nestle India
Meeting between Nestle officials and Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain ends
Background
The decision by Delhi government against the Indian arm of Swiss multinational giant came after lab testing of samples of Maggi noodles was found to have lead exceeding the prescribed limits.
Five samples of masala were also having monosodium glutamate without proper label declaration which is an offence under the category of misbranding, they said.
The samples were lifted by the Food Safety Officers of the Health department after receiving a communication from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Also read: Maggi row: Bihar court directs FIR against Amitabh, Madhuri, Preity
State-run retail outlets in Kerala were ordered to withdraw these products and Karnataka and Haryana directed random lifting of this food item for scrutiny.
Kerala Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob's office said an order had been issued to temporarily stop the distribution of Maggi noodles from its retail outlets in the state forthwith till there is clarity on the safety issue.
The probe into alleged lapses of food safety standards has already been expanded to test Maggi noodle samples from across the country following detection of monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limit in the noodles.
However, Nestle India claimed it has got samples tested in an external laboratory as well as in-house and that the product was found "safe to eat".
In Karnataka, Health Minister U T Khader said that officials have been directed to randomly lift the samples of Maggi noodles from the manufacturing units and retail shops, across the state for laboratory testing.
The West Bengal Food department has convened a meeting tomorrow to take a view on the Maggi row.
(With PTI inputs)