Maggi ControversY: Contains more Lead than it should says Test report

mangaloretoday.com

Lucknow, May 21:  Maggi noodles contain not only monosodium glutamate, or MSG, but it also contains extremely high levels of lead - nearly seven times the permissible limit - a test conducted by the government has found.

 

"The test was conducted at the National Food Laboratories proves that the company’s claims of not adding MSG is false," said a food inspector at Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. Going by the levels of lead present -- 17.2 ppm even though the permissible limit is upto 2.5 ppm -- the laboratory has also declared it as unsafe for health.

Nestle India, which manufactures the popular brand of Noodles, had said in a statement that MSG, a taste enhancer, is not added in the product. Rather, "glutamate, if present, occurs naturally in some of the ingredients used," the company said.

 

Packets of the noodles, belonging to the batch that has been tested at the Kolkata laboratories, are being withdrawn since yesterday from across Uttar Pradesh by the state’s Food Safety and Drug Administration.

Nestle India, a subsidiary of Swiss-based Nestle SA, said it has strict safety and quality controls for all raw materials used to make Maggi noodles.

Regarding the levels of lead, Nestle had said, "We regularly monitor for lead as part of our stringent quality control processes, including testing by accredited laboratories. These tests have consistently shown lead levels in MAGGI Noodles to be within permissible limits."

Lead is a highly toxic material and its presence in blood in high levels may result in lead poisoning, which can lead to severe mental and physical impairment, especially in children.