Nestle looking into complaint of live beetles in baby food

Nestle India on Wednesday said it's investigating the complaint of live beetles reportedly found in a baby milk food supplement produced by it and is fully cooperating with the authorities on the matter.

"We are aware that a consumer in Coimbatore has reported insects in a pack of our Cerelac Stage 3, infant cereal. The quality and safety of our products are non-negotiable priorities for our company and we always take such reports seriously," a Nestle India spokesperson told PTI.

"We have made every effort to investigate this complaint and are cooperating with authorities in this matter." On Sunday, a couple in Coimbatore had filed a complaint with the Food and Safety Department, stating that live beetles were found in a packet they had purchased, which had an expiry date of May 20, 2016.

The department officials have said the collected samples will be tested in labs.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said Nestle's manufacturing technology excludes the possibility of insects in sealed packages and the company officials have visited the couple.

Nestle's popular Maggi noodle has been banned by food safety regulator FSSAI due to presence of lead and taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) beyond permissible limits.

On Monday, Nestle India had said it has started destroying Maggi instant noodles worth Rs 320 crore after withdrawing the stock from the market, factories and distribution networks.