UJJAINI SHARMA
Dibrugarh, June 21: Surprisingly the tionwide ban on the most trusted consumer instant food product MAGGI has put a big question mark on the decade-old faith shown upon it by millions of people in our country who have blindly trusted this instant food product without even a hint of doubt regarding the authenticity of its content. Such is the importance of Maggi noodles that it makes a person of any age, the happiest person when a platter full of this delicious instant food noodles is placed before him whenever he is hit by hunger pangs. But Maggi has developed a special bond with the little ones as they can be easily pampered with a bowl of these yummy noodles. No wonder this blind trust has been shattered with the shocking discovery of harmful Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and lead substances in all the nine variants of Maggi Noodles including the Oats Masala Noodles when tests were conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India leading to widespread health concerns amongst the consumers who have been consuming this food variety without a hint of doubt regarding its authenticity. With the tests resulting in negative findings, FSSAI ordered a recall on this delicious instant noodles by suggesting them as unsafe and hazardous for human consumption and soon after that the Central and State Governments called a tionwide ban on the sale, storage and distribution of Maggi for an indefinite period.
So is this the end of Maggi, the most trusted brand of Nestle that has been a part of our daily lives since more than a decade with millions of people’s faith being shaken with this out-of-the-blue sensatiol and heartbreaking discovery of lead and MSG substances being found in high quantity that may risk human lives. This sudden discovery of harmful substances has once again proved the point that human life has no value in the eyes of some so-called big shot companies who in a blink of a moment can play with thousands of lives when it comes to money making. Every now and then food regulations are imposed on various products as they fail to pass the food test but when it came to Maggi the outcome was of utter disbelief.
A sea of undefined queries are floating in the minds of Maggi lovers regarding the food product’s countless promises of nutritious substances like oats, wheat and vegetables being added in Maggi and its variants that are claimed to be useful for a healthy life if consumed by the consumers, especially by the children. But if we go by records of the recently conducted tests and its subsequent country wide ban then our perception of Maagi Noodles and its other variants will undoubtedly take a back seat as our faith in this instant noodles has been shaken and we are now doubting our own belief on these food products that have been a part of our life since our country got independence and we got connected with the outer world through the big companies that have entered our country with promises to provide us with the best food products that will add an extra zing to our food itinerary.
Now the entire burden lies on our Food Safety Department that needs to be more vigilant and keep a strict watch over these food manufacturing companies by imposing upon them safety guidelines and rules that these companies need to follow before launching their food products in the market so that human lives are not threatened by the dangerous substances that are time to time being found to be present in high quantities in these food products.
Human faith have been shaken and now the ball lies in the court of the manufacturing companies to give a fresh thought as to their role in providing good quality food products to their consumers without playing dubious part by resorting to unlawful means that may lead to harmful consequences fatal to human life.