Maggi in hot waters; Assam, Meghalaya order tests

Delhi government, army, Future Group, Big Bazaar ban the sck; Goa gives clean chit; Ten states either order withdrawal of the noodles from shops or testing of samples; Sales down 15-40 % in metros; Nestle shares tumbles 10 % in trade

Our Bureau

Guwahati/ Shillong, June 3: Governments of Assam and Meghalaya today started lifting samples of Maggi noodles randomly for laboratory testing amid a row over alleged lapses in its food safety standards.

The Meghalaya health department has also issued an advisory asking people to restrain themselves from consuming the product temporarily.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said he has sought a report from the Health department. “Necessary action will be taken if samples are found unsafe,” he said.

Assam Principle Secretary (health) Sanjeev Kumar said 35 samples have been collected from various places and sent for food alysis.

In Shillong, the Department of Health and Family Welfare held a meeting with the officials of food safety standards today. 

Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety Standards, DDS Mukhim told The Sentinel that samples of the maggi products have been sent for alysis at the State Public Health Lab, Assam. The samples were sent last week and the report is expected by Friday, informed Mukhim.

Meghalya Health Minister AL Hek said the government will take a call only after receiving the results of the food alysis.

Retail outlets in Shillong have recorded a drastic fall of sale of the product in the last few days.

IANS ADDS FROM NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday banned Maggi noodles for 15 days as Nestle India, the manufacturer of the popular sck, battled controversy with many more states ordering tests following a lab report that samples of the noodles contained more than the permissible limit of lead.

The ban was imposed as samples of Maggi noodles were found to contain more than the permissible quantity of lead -- which is 2.5 parts per million (ppm).

Bihar, Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha on Wednesday joined states like Maharashtra, Harya, Kartaka, Uttar Pradesh and Goa which have sent samples of Maggi noodles for tests. With consumers wary of Maggi noodles, sale of the sck, which has been a part of the Indian palate for over 25 years, took a hit with many stores and chains removing it from their shelves.

Indian Army officials said an advisory had been issued against eating Maggi and for their canteens not to sell it till the air was cleared about its contents.

Officials of Kendriya Bhandar said its retail outlets in the tiol capital and adjoining cities of Noida and Gurgaon have been asked to withdraw Maggi noodles from their shelves. Stocks of Nestle India went down by 9.05 percent on Wednesday.

Nestle had earlier said it had sent samples of Maggi from almost 600 product batches to an exterl laboratory for independent alysis. The company, however, did not respond to queries sent by IANS on details of the lab and specific results.

But Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Wednesday said results of all tests in the coastal state found Maggi samples to be okay.