Nestle refutes allegation of ash; says Maggi noodles safe
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Nov 29, 2017, 09.08 PM IST
NEW DELHI: Packaged foods maker Nestle said late Wednesday that its instant noodles brand Maggi is ‘safe’, following the Uttar Pradesh district administration levying a fine of Rs 62 lakh for alleged ‘ash content’ in the instant snack.
“Maggi noodles are 100% safe for consumption. We strongly reiterate that at no stage of the manufacturing process, ash is added to Maggi noodles,” a spokesperson representing Nestle India said in an email statement.
The statement added that the latest development is “a case of applying standards basis an old advisory issued in 2015”.
The India arm of the Swiss packaged foods maker said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has laid standards for instant noodles, pasta and seasoning and Maggi noodles are fully compliant with this. Stating that the company has not yet received the order passed by the adjudication officer, the spokesperson said: “We understand from the information available that the relevant samples are of the year 2015 and the issue pertains to ash content”.
The allegations of ash content by the UP district administration is reportedly above the permissible limits of human consumption, following tests claimed to have been carried out at a state government lab.
Two years back, FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles over use of lead in excess of permissible limits and mislabelling of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate. The product had gone off shelves for over five months, almost wiping out the instant noodles category.
The controversy has been the biggest faced by the listed India arm of the world’s biggest packaged foods maker, with Maggi losing over Rs 1,000 crore in sales, and a serious dent to its brand image. The ban had led Nestle to destroy over 30,000 tonnes of Maggi noodles and report its first loss in three decades in the April-June quarter of 2015.
Maggi had returned to store shelves by November ’15 after multiple clearances from government-certified laboratories, and returned to leadership position within a year.
“Maggi noodles are 100% safe for consumption. We strongly reiterate that at no stage of the manufacturing process, ash is added to Maggi noodles,” a spokesperson representing Nestle India said in an email statement.
The statement added that the latest development is “a case of applying standards basis an old advisory issued in 2015”.
The India arm of the Swiss packaged foods maker said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has laid standards for instant noodles, pasta and seasoning and Maggi noodles are fully compliant with this. Stating that the company has not yet received the order passed by the adjudication officer, the spokesperson said: “We understand from the information available that the relevant samples are of the year 2015 and the issue pertains to ash content”.
The allegations of ash content by the UP district administration is reportedly above the permissible limits of human consumption, following tests claimed to have been carried out at a state government lab.
Two years back, FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles over use of lead in excess of permissible limits and mislabelling of flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate. The product had gone off shelves for over five months, almost wiping out the instant noodles category.
The controversy has been the biggest faced by the listed India arm of the world’s biggest packaged foods maker, with Maggi losing over Rs 1,000 crore in sales, and a serious dent to its brand image. The ban had led Nestle to destroy over 30,000 tonnes of Maggi noodles and report its first loss in three decades in the April-June quarter of 2015.
Maggi had returned to store shelves by November ’15 after multiple clearances from government-certified laboratories, and returned to leadership position within a year.
